A Practical Guide for Mining-Affected Communities

This guide seeks to highlight the steps that concerned parties and communities can take to address the challenges that mining poses to communities. Coal mining, and mining in general, are activities central to South Africa’s economy. The Government regulates the mining of minerals through law which mining companies must obey. Mining, by its nature, is invasive, causes a large amount of pollution and affects large areas of land. Companies are always looking for new places to mine and, at times, the places they identify are already occupied by communities or used by communities for farming and grazing. This guide seeks to give communities the tools they need to understand the law that governs mining and to protect their rights, such as information to mining rights and permits, consultation and public participation, relocation and constitutional rights.

This resource is part of the Mining Towns Collection kindly sponsored by the Municipal Capability and Partnership Programme. Abstract based on source.