NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is convening a National Hearing on 13-14 September 2016 to investigate socio-economic challenges in mining-affected communities across South Africa. Following consultations in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, the Commission identified systemic issues including non-compliance with legal and environmental obligations, failures in enforcement, insufficient community consultation, and limited social upliftment. The SAHRC has invited the Centre for Environmental Rights to provide submissions specifically regarding the efficacy of environmental compliance monitoring, the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs), and the impact of mining on water resources and ecosystems.

• Consultations with communities in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga revealed several systemic challenges, including the failure of rights holders to comply with legal frameworks, regulatory requirements, and corporate social and environmental obligations.
• Mining-affected communities reported a lack of transparency, insufficient consultation with interested parties, and limited cooperation between mining companies, local government, traditional authorities, and the communities themselves.
• Mining operations have been linked to the creation of internal community divisions and a failure to provide adequate development or social upliftment for those affected.
• The South African Human Rights Commission is seeking specific evidence on the efficacy of environmental monitoring, the integration of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) into Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), and the resulting impacts on water quality and ecosystems.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2016). NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/160816-Letter-from-SAHRC-to-CER.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/160816-Letter-from-SAHRC-to-CER.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA |date=4 August 2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/160816-Letter-from-SAHRC-to-CER.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrights2016national, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE HEARING ON THE UNDERLYING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN MINING-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/160816-Letter-from-SAHRC-to-CER.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }