Poor Governance of Mining and the Violation of Environmental Rights in Mpumalanga

The report details how systemic governance failures by the DMR and DWS in Mpumalanga have led to widespread environmental degradation, health crises in mining communities, and threats to water and food security. It highlights the lack of enforcement, a culture of secrecy, and the conflict of interest inherent in the DMR's dual mandate to promote and regulate mining.

• Mining applications have put a vast proportion of Mpumalanga's land under pressure; by 2014, 61.3% of the province's surface area was subject to prospecting and mining right applications.
• The province's high-potential arable land is at significant risk, with 46.6% of South Africa's high-potential soils located in Mpumalanga; continued mining at current rates could ruin approximately 12% of the country's total high-potential arable land.
• Air quality on the Mpumalanga Highveld is among the worst globally, with mine haul roads contributing an estimated 49% of nitrogen dioxide in the Highveld Air Pollution Priority Area.
• Mining threatens critical water security; 70% of areas in Mpumalanga of 'high importance for water run-off' are subject to mining-related development applications.
• The Olifants River Catchment is severely polluted by mining; by 2004, approximately 50,000m3 of polluted mine water and 64,000m3 from abandoned mines were released into the river daily.
• Mining-affected communities suffer severe health issues, including respiratory problems and nausea; a 2014 CER survey found 58% of participants or their household members suffered from poor health and 64% suffered from nausea, migraines, or headaches.
• The DMR frequently grants mining rights in environmentally sensitive areas and ignores spatial planning tools, such as the Mpumalanga Biodiversity Sector Plan, and objections from other government agencies.
• There is a critical lack of regulatory capacity; in 2015, only five DMR officials were designated to monitor compliance and enforcement for 239 operating mines and 788 derelict/ownerless mines in Mpumalanga.
• Financial provision for mine rehabilitation is often inadequate or not enforced, leaving the taxpayer to bear the cost of derelict and ownerless mines, with rehabilitation costs estimated at R60 billion in August 2015.
• The 'One Environmental System' (OES) has created a conflict of interest by making the DMR the competent authority for both promoting mining and enforcing its environmental authorisations under NEMA.
• A culture of secrecy persists in the mining sector, with the DMR showing a low rate of actual release of requested documents (12.5% in 2015) and resisting the disclosure of compliance data to protect company share prices.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2016). Poor Governance of Mining and the Violation of Environmental Rights in Mpumalanga. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Annexure-A.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Poor Governance of Mining and the Violation of Environmental Rights in Mpumalanga. 2016. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Annexure-A.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Poor Governance of Mining and the Violation of Environmental Rights in Mpumalanga |date=May 2016 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Annexure-A.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2016poor, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Poor Governance of Mining and the Violation of Environmental Rights in Mpumalanga}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Annexure-A.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }