JULY/AUGUST 2025
Dear Friends and Comrades.
Welcome to our July/August Edition
In Women’s month commemorated in August and what should be a celebration of the historic Women’s march we are faced with unprecedented levels of gender based violence visited on women and children. Afrophobia continues unabated with migrants denied access to public hospital care by Afrophobic “local” movements.
Vala Umgodi (Close the Hole) continues despite the killing of a close to a 100 miners in Stilfontein earlier in the year.
Let us stand in solidarity with all our fellow Africans in South Africa, in our region and our continent and indeed in Palestine and the surrounding region where genocide knows no end.
We also commemorate the 16 August – the Marikana massacre of 2012 – and the mineworkers that died at the hands of police fire. 13 Years on and the cry for the prosecution of those responsible remains.
Wonderkop in Marikana, a community adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater, the company that bought Lonmin, has seen little change.
Bench Marks Foundation will publish a report on 14 August 2025 that highlights the current plight of communities in Wonderkop.
Is it Critically ‘theirs’ … or is it ‘ours’ ?: There is a global race for critical raw materials (CRM) by the Global North to obtain minerals that it conceives as critical in the quest to rid itself of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas in the next 25 years.
In this bulletin we examine some of the implications of that race – while we highlight stories of resistance and the building of power in communities, while we look at the amendments to the laws that govern mining in South Africa.
..EDITOR'S NOTE..
Picture: Courtesy Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Across the world, nations are scrambling for the building blocks of tomorrow: lithium, manganese, platinum group metals, minerals found in abundance beneath South Africa’s and neighbouring countries’ soil. As the energy transition accelerates, our country stands at a crossroads: will we remain a source of raw extraction, or rise as architects of just, inclusive development?
This month, the Draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill (2025) invites us into a critical debate. It promises artisanal mining permits, beneficiation mandates, and community-inclusive zones. But behind the policy language lies a deeper question: Who holds power in shaping our mineral destiny?
Coal has now been added to South Africa’s list of critical raw materials. While framed as a response to energy security concerns, this decision raises urgent questions about the country’s commitment to a just transition and the environmental toll of continued coal reliance.
From Makgatlo village in Limpopo, where Anglo Platinum exhumed graves without compensation (meaningful consultation), to Burgersfort, where relentless blasting has cracked homes and endangered lives, communities are living the consequences of mineral extraction injustice. In Snake Park, Soweto, residents have withheld signatures on the Digby Wells environmental authorisation, citing a lack of transparency from Pan African Resources and exclusion from vital decision-making processes. These stories of broken farms, falling rocks, unkept promises, and obstructed consultation form the real terrain of mineral reform.
In communities like Riverlea, where the Mining Forum has drawn a firm line against Amatshe Mining’s proposed activities, communities are showing that consultation without consent is no longer acceptable. These acts of resistance demand recognition, not just in the margins of environmental reports, but in the heart of legislative reform.
As mining-affected communities grapple with unsafe tailings, crumbling infrastructure, and polluted water, they must move from passive consultation to active co-governance, demanding traceability, environmental accountability, and economic justice.
As the 13 August deadline to comment on the Amendment Bill approaches, this bulletin explores how critical raw materials intersect with community rights. Let this be the moment we move from extraction to transformation, not just of minerals, but of power, policy, and possibility.
Why Critical Raw Materials Matter and What Coal’s Inclusion Means for Mpumalanga Communities.
What Are Critical Raw Materials (CRMs)?
Critical raw materials are minerals and metals that are essential to modern technologies, national security, and economic development but are at risk of supply disruptions. These include platinum group metals, manganese, vanadium, lithium, and now, coal. CRMs power everything from electric vehicles and renewable energy systems to defence technologies and digital infrastructure.
Why Do They Matter?
- They’re vital for the global shift to green energy and low-carbon economies.
- They support industrialisation, job creation, and innovation.
- They’re central to South Africa’s strategy to become a global hub for mineral-based manufacturing and clean energy technologies.
How Can Communities Understand CRMs?
To make CRMs meaningful at the grassroots level, communities can:
- Host workshops that explain how CRMs affect local economies, land use, and environmental health.
- Use visual storytelling to connect mining impacts to everyday life.
- Engage with policy documents like the Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy to understand government priorities.
- Mobilise around legislative changes such as the MPRDA Amendment Bill to advocate for fair benefit-sharing.
Why Was Coal Added to the CRM List?
Coal’s inclusion as a high-criticality material reflects its role in energy security and industrial feedstock. Despite its environmental concerns, coal remains central to South Africa’s power generation and synthetic fuel production, especially in Mpumalanga, which produces over 80% of the country’s coal.
What Does This Mean for Mpumalanga Communities?
- Economic Dependence: Coal mining supports thousands of jobs and underpins local economies in towns like eMalahleni and Secunda.
- Environmental Impact: Communities face land degradation, water pollution, and health risks from mining operations.
- Policy Leverage: Coal’s new status could open doors for stronger community engagement, rehabilitation funding, and infrastructure investment.
- Just Transition: It raises urgent questions about how to shift toward cleaner energy while protecting livelihoods.
Explore the Government’s Strategy
You can read South Africa’s official Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy on the government website. It outlines the national vision for CRMs, including coal, and how they’ll shape the country’s future.
FLASHBACK & FALLOUT
Revisiting the 2023 Raw Materials Debate
In October 2023, the Bench Marks Foundation convened a groundbreaking conference under the theme “Critical Raw Materials: For Whom? At What Cost?”. It sparked fierce dialogue about extraction and energy transition justice, exposing how global demand for minerals such as uranium, lithium, and cobalt continues to sideline the rights of mining-affected communities. Community voices highlighted the risks of unchecked extraction, including tailings mismanagement, radiological harm, and policy gaps.
Fast forward to today, and the tensions persist. South Africa has launched its own Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy. Electricity & Energy Minister Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has declared an intent to elevate uranium to ‘critical mineral’ status to fuel nuclear expansion. This includes developing a new multipurpose reactor and scaling fuel fabrication moves that could revive uranium mining in areas already grappling with legacy tailings and environmental degradation. Meanwhile, the CM&M Strategy still ranks uranium as only “moderately critical,” revealing a disconnect between political ambition and policy definitions.
For communities, this shift demands sharper advocacy. Tailings reclamation, radiological safety, and the MPRDA Amendment Bill must be addressed transparently and collaboratively. Without clear safeguards and community readiness, the future of uranium mining risks repeating past harms.
Coal’s Critical Status Demands Critical Voices
As South Africa adds coal to its official list of critical raw materials, communities across Mpumalanga and beyond are left asking: critical for whom?
In theory, critical raw materials (CRMs) represent the building blocks of the future: a cleaner, more connected world powered by minerals like lithium, manganese, and platinum group metals. But now coal, a fuel long associated with environmental harm and industrial exploitation, has been rebranded as “critical.” This move, meant to secure energy stability, raises uncomfortable questions about the real trajectory of our so-called just transition.
Mpumalanga, home to the country’s densest coal infrastructure, is already burdened by poisoned rivers, crumbling schools, and rising respiratory illnesses. Communities like eMalahleni don’t need more critical coal, they need critical change.
Even Minister Gwede Mantashe has made his stance clear: “Mining can’t be killed for the sake of fresh air”. This statement, delivered amid discussions on fracking and energy security, underscores the government’s prioritisation of extraction over environmental health.
What’s truly at stake is not just a mineral classification; it’s the power to redefine development. The Draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill (2025) offers surface-level reforms: artisanal mining permits, community zones, and beneficiation incentives. But beneath these reforms is a familiar pattern: centralised control, token consultation, and fragmented engagement.
Section 42A of the Bill introduces transitional provisions for the evolving landscape of tailings storage facilities, finally acknowledging the legacy harms of mining waste. Yet it remains unclear how communities will be empowered to monitor or rehabilitate these sites.
The Bill also introduces artisanal mining permits under Section 27, defining artisanal mining as traditional, surface-level extraction using rudimentary tools. While this could open doors for community-based mining, it risks being co-opted without strong safeguards for local benefit and environmental protection.
That’s where Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC must provide indigenous communities a way to track, verify, and assert their rights throughout the mining lifecycle from consultation to consent, and beyond. FPIC isn’t just about saying “yes” or “no,” it’s about co-owning the process.
If coal is to be treated as “critical,” then the lives it affects must be treated as urgent. This means:
- Binding environmental accountability for companies that extract it
- Community-led rehabilitation of degraded land
- Transparent benefit-sharing mechanisms
- A clear roadmap for phasing out coal in a way that protects jobs and communities
For too long, extractive policies have spoken about communities, not with them. But in Riverlea, Snake Park, Burgersfort, and Limpopo, resistance is rewriting the narrative. These communities aren’t just affected, they’re asserting power.
As the August 13 public comment deadline is now upon us is the time to act. Let’s challenge the politics that underlines extraction and reclaim the promise of minerals not for profit, but for people. Coal may be listed as critical but our collective voice can be more critical.
..OPINION..
Critical Minerals: A Call for Change or a Fear of Change? by Eric Mokuoa
The race for transition minerals is replete with promises and anticipation of a leap into technological advancement. Among others, this pursuit of the critical mineral promises to transport us to net-zero emissions by 2050. There is also a promise to lift millions of people out of poverty and provide access to clean, affordable, modern, and sustainable energy technologies. This rush for what is now termed “critical minerals which are essential for clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, batteries, and photovoltaics (PVs), and electric Vehicles (EVs), has implications for many communities. Whilst the move to clean energy should be universal, the understanding still takes into consideration national interests. Thus, the term “critical minerals” is subject to many interpretations depending on the nation and regional context.
South Africa offers the following explanation in the critical mineral strategy: “minerals that are essential for the overall economic development, job creation, industrial advancement, and contribution to national security”.
These minerals are now required to mitigate the current climate catastrophe after years of unmitigated Greenhouse gas emissions from industrialised nations. Many transnational corporations are guilty of this pollution. A report by the CDP organisation found in 2017 that 100 active fossil fuel producers, which include Transnational companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, and BHP Billiton, are linked to 71% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1988.
Whilst all efforts are now directed to solving the increasing global warming and mitigating the climate crisis, truth be told, there is still scepticism that continues to prevail amongst the rich countries. The 2023 Emissions Gap Report by the UNEP highlights this fact by revealing data showing a significant increase in emissions, mostly by the G20 countries, which makes the goal of reducing emissions extremely difficult, thereby undermining climate change mitigation efforts.
The current context of mineral extraction is not short of troubles, spanning from illicit financial flows, increasing conflicts, and an irreparable environmental footprint. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand for the critical energy transition minerals required to enable this global energy transition is expected to triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040.
This led us to the question of the opportunities that come with the surge in demand for critical minerals. The South African strategy primarily expects economic development, job creation, industrial advancement, and contribution to national security. This strategy does not go far enough in bringing clarity to the reality of climate mitigation. It assumes that the expectation for economic development, job creation, industrial advancement, and contribution to national security automatically carries these objectives. If any other thing, the impression it leaves is that the status quo should be preserved.
The reality of climate change cannot be avoided as it wreaks havoc in many regions. As early as 2025 a number of regions of South Africa, including Gauteng, North-West, KwaZulu-Natal, and parts of the Eastern Cape, experienced heavy rains leading to severe floods. Rivers overflowed, roads were washed away, and thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes. Public service, businesses, and industries were also impacted, causing economic losses. The scale of destruction surpassed the expectation, and many of the people who suffered the worst effects were the poor, who lost their homes and livelihoods. Driving thousands into poverty.
What is now presented as a clear path and ultimate solution is the increased mining of critical minerals. Mining is a double-edged sword; whilst it is celebrated as the backbone of the economy, it is also the grave of the same economy. The rush for critical minerals changes everything, with implications for communities. The current renewed chase for mineral resources resembles the scramble for Africa that emanated from the 1884 Berlin Conference and colonialism.
Whilst strategies are built on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, this does not mean huge negative environmental footprint legacies left by the previous mining booms should be ignored. This external cost to poor societies is barely quantified, and many communities pay with their lives. Naomi Klein delineates these areas of extraction as sacrifice zones, where there is poor service delivery, health care, and a toxic environment.
(Picture taken in Matshantsundu Village, KwaZulu-Natal, where Jindal is proposing to establish an open-pit mine, along with a waste rock dump, processing plant, tailings storage facility, and related infrastructure to support mining operations.)
Whilst South African strategy points to tax revenues, employment, and declining revenues and uses such as the basis for the strategic leap, quantifying the negative social cost on the land, human, and the ecosystem remains absent. The greed to extract at all costs is often responsible for the carnage that takes workers’ lives, compromises the environment, and displaces communities. The social cost of relocation has not been costed; the projects envisaged by Jindal in KwaZulu Natal will devastate the beautiful landscape of Entembeni communities. If successful, it will lead to the resettlement of some communities. The current standoff with Anglo Platinum, now rebranded Valterra Platinum, regarding the muscled relocation of Seritarita High School, and then the awaited relocation of the Skimming community in Limpopo province, is the reality of marginalised communities.
(Picture taken in Mogalakwena, Limpopo, showing Seritarita School, which Anglo intends to relocate.)
The popularity of critical minerals should not come as a new twist which does not guarantee any change for the communities. It should make explicit the promise to dismantle inequalities, but not as an opportunity for the rich and the elites to reset their economic position. As it stands, it is a fear for real change rather than a call for genuine change. Questions remain, will this rush bring material change? The question that communities constantly ask about any boom, and this race for critical minerals, is: Will this ultimately change their lives, or is this a fear of the privileged class from embracing unavoidable changes?
..ARTICLES..
Summary of the MPRDA Amendments Bill by Clauses to Be Amended – Bench Marks Foundation Interpretation
Issued by Bench Marks Research Team
The MPRDA Amendment Bill introduces updates aimed at improving regulation, transformation, and environmental oversight in South Africa’s mining sector, but the Bench Marks Foundation raises strong concerns about its shortcomings. While the Bill enhances definitions, timelines, and enforcement powers, it fails to ensure meaningful community participation, enforce Social and Labour Plans, or address critical issues like post-mining economies, the repurposing of mining towns, and the fair treatment of retrenched workers. The Foundation highlights persistent industry bias, weak accountability, and the lack of a just transition plan emphasizing that without addressing these gaps, the legislation will continue to prioritize profits over people and the environment.
Summary by Clauses to Be Amended and Bench Marks Concerns
..GRASSROOTS VOICES..
“Mining Legislation Fails the People: A Call for Accountability” by Makhotla Sefuli
Picture: Courtesy of Makhotla Sefuli
Despite South Africa’s rich mineral resources, communities remain marginalized. Makhotla Sefuli critiques the MPRDA for prioritizing profits over people, enabling land dispossession and weak public oversight. The article calls for laws that protect land rights, ensure transparency, and share mining benefits fairly. Read his views in full here.
..COMMUNITY RESILLIENCE...
“Riverlea Mining Forum: Standing Firm Against Exploitation”
Picture by Riverlea Mining Forum
In Johannesburg’s historic mining corridor, the Riverlea community has emerged as a powerful voice against extractive industries that prioritize profit over people. The Riverlea Mining Forum (RMF), a grassroots collective of concerned residents, is at the forefront of defending health, dignity, and the right to live free from harm caused by mining.
Riverlea’s stance is unambiguous: the health, safety, and security of residents come first. The Forum represents a coalition of everyday people who reject the notion that corporate profits should take precedence over the well-being of communities. Their motto is simple yet profound: “No mining at the cost of human life”.
Legal mining attracts Zama Zamas, opportunistic illegal miners who thrive in environments where law enforcement is weak and sporadic. Arrests rarely lead to prosecution, as suspects are often found with unprocessed materials. These conditions create ongoing danger and instability right on residents’ doorsteps.
Consultants representing Amatshe Mining distributed notices for a public meeting, but only a few households received them. In a show of determination, RMF stepped in to engage residents directly. When OIM Solutions, the consultancy firm, held a meeting, community members collectively refused to attend, protesting a process they deemed exclusionary and insincere.
The RMF has since sent an email requesting meaningful dialogue with OIM Solutions. That message remains unanswered, underscoring the community’s concern that public participation may simply be a box to tick on mining approval forms, not a genuine effort to listen.
Undeterred, the Forum hosts regular gatherings, using WhatsApp and Facebook to build awareness and solidarity. Media coverage through interviews has been vital in spotlighting the community’s demands and humanizing their struggle.
Riverlea is a middle-to-low-income residential area already dealing with serious health burdens, including high rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses, exacerbated by poor air quality from surrounding tailings dumps. Residents fear that their homes could be structurally damaged, property values could be eroded, and their daily lives could be irreversibly disrupted by mining operations.
Many in the community view dialogues with mining companies as empty rituals. The mining agenda appears set in stone, with community voices sidelined. RMF calls for accountability and respect, not symbolic outreach.
Today, RMF relies on partnerships with media and civil society allies to raise its concerns nationally and globally. They are calling for true participatory governance, where communities help shape decisions that affect their future, rather than just react to them. Support their campaign by signing their petition here SAY NO TO MINING !
..NOTICE BOARD..
..JUNE MEDIA ENGAGEMENTS..
..RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS..
The Action Voices AMI 2025 edition
This edition highlights reflections from communities in southern Africa who participated in the Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) 2025, offering grassroots perspectives on mining’s impact the publication foregrounds community-authored stories, insights, and calls to action from local activists near mines.
It serves as a platform for:
- Highlighting daily lived experiences of mining-affected communities, including environmental harm, displacement, poor service delivery, and economic marginalization.
- Showcasing community-led reporting, activism, and demands for accountability from mining companies and responsible institutions
- The focus is on collective action: promoting community voices over top-down narratives, and urging structural change in mining governance and benefit sharing.
The Community Monitoring School model used in Tanzania:
Moses Cloete serves as the editor at large of this edition. Unless otherwise indicated the writing and presentation of the Bulletin is by Thokozile Mntambo. Olebogeng Motene is responsible for additional editing and layout of the newsletter. Simo Gumede is responsible for the members and partners database management. Header Photo: Courtesy of STOKWE ARTS
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