Joint Media Statement by Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA: Minister Ramatlhodi chooses a dangerous path

A joint media statement by a civil society coalition criticizing Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramatlhodi for ignoring mining-affected communities and prioritizing corporate interests over public participation and justice in the development of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA).

• The Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA accuses Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi of ignoring community calls for inclusion in halting destructive mining practices and failing to address why the President returned the MPRDA Amendment Bill to Parliament, specifically regarding the lack of public participation by provincial legislatures and the disregard for the consent principle of customary law.
• Mining-affected communities across South Africa are engaging in protests and legal actions to demand justice, inclusive outcomes, and redress for pollution and contamination caused by mines and power stations. Specific areas of conflict include Mokopane in Limpopo (IvanPlats), Witbank in Mpumalanga, the Fuleni community in KwaZulu-Natal (iButho Coal), and Marikana in the Northwest.
• The coalition highlights a pattern of government avoidance, noting that Minister Ramatlhodi has not responded to a meeting request from Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) since May 2014, following a similar lack of response to the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA) in 2013.
• The coalition expresses concern over illicit financial flows, citing reports from the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and the Alternative Development Information Centre (AIDC) which identify multinational mining companies as the primary culprits of these flows, costing South Africa billions in lost revenues.
• The coalition warns that the Minister's plan to push the new MPRDA Amendment Bill through Parliament within six months is unrealistic and risks repeating previous constitutional transgressions regarding public consultation, which could lead to further instability and legal challenges.

APA

Melissa (2015). Joint Media Statement by Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA: Minister Ramatlhodi chooses a dangerous path. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/news/joint-media-statement-by-civil-society-coalition-on-the-mprda-minister-ramatlhodi-chooses-a-dangerous-path

Chicago

Melissa. Joint Media Statement by Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA: Minister Ramatlhodi chooses a dangerous path. Centre for Environmental Rights, 2015. https://cer.org.za/news/joint-media-statement-by-civil-society-coalition-on-the-mprda-minister-ramatlhodi-chooses-a-dangerous-path.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Melissa |title=Joint Media Statement by Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA: Minister Ramatlhodi chooses a dangerous path |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=18 February 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/news/joint-media-statement-by-civil-society-coalition-on-the-mprda-minister-ramatlhodi-chooses-a-dangerous-path |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{melissa2015joint, author = {Melissa}, title = {{Joint Media Statement by Civil Society Coalition on the MPRDA: Minister Ramatlhodi chooses a dangerous path}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/news/joint-media-statement-by-civil-society-coalition-on-the-mprda-minister-ramatlhodi-chooses-a-dangerous-path}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }