OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025

Conference overview by Moses Cloete  (Executive Director of  the Bench Marks Foundation)

In his opening remarks, Moses Cloete, Executive Director of the Bench Marks Foundation, offered a sobering reflection on the state of mining in South Africa and the broader continent. He began by thanking the Riverlea community for once again opening its doors to the Foundation. 

It was in this very venue, back in 2017, that the study Waiting to Inhale was launched. That report looked at Soweto and its surroundings. As the title suggests, people could not breathe, and this was the result of tailings and waste from the mines. Tailings are essentially waste accumulated from mining, dug from the earth and left in small mountains. If you don’t know the area, you might think that Johannesburg is a city full of little hills, but in reality, these are the damaging remnants of mining.

The question of properly closing mines is critical. There are about 6,000 mines that are not closed properly. The land is never restored to its original state, and communities bear the consequences. It also lays at the origins of the Zama-Zama incursions. We are in a mining town, and just across the road, the impact is visible.

Mining began here when gold was discovered back in the 1880s and although we can debate its effects, the consequences are still with us today. A report by the Attorney General indicated that around 2,000 abandoned, derelict and ownerless mines are in a critical state, while pointing out that DMRE had done next-to -nothing to close or ensure those corporations responsible close and rehabilitate those in a critical state. In Snake Park, Soweto, children suffer from cerebral palsy, and it is suspected that proximity to mine dumps plays a role. These dumps are right in front of residential areas, and they continue to grow. This is a clear example of where urgent and real accountability is required.

In Africa, we have all these minerals that we should be benefiting from in a sustainable way. “Justice” in mining is not just about extraction, but about restoration, responsibility, and respect for the communities who live with its legacy.  

Much of the mining narrative is spun to appear positive, but the reality is different. Mine owners and capital often present an image of responsibility, while hiding the negative impacts of mining. Mining, in South Africa and across the continent, is a natural endowment. Unlike countries in the north, such as the Nordic nations, South Africa does not even have “sovereign wealth funds” to capture mining benefits for future development.

Millions of people are affected as companies like Anglo America retreat, mining only what remains profitable. The legacy of improperly closed mines will continue. In areas like Rustenburg, companies focus on more profitable sites while leaving others abandoned. Profit is prioritized over proper closure and environmental responsibility, and this pattern continues to drive exploitation and damage.

Issues around informal miners, or Zama Zamas, are also critical. The response of the state has often been brutal, with tragic consequences, including deaths during forced closures. Legal interventions have sometimes been necessary to protect miners, highlighting systemic failure.

In 2023, our discussions focused on critical raw materials. The meaning of critical minerals evolves over time from coal in the industrial revolution, to gold, platinum, and now other minerals needed for the global energy transition. The exploitation of these resources continues to impact communities disproportionately.

We also reflected on global injustices, such as the ongoing situation in Palestine, linking the struggle for natural resources to broader issues of oppression, displacement, and state violence. Genocides, both historic and ongoing, remind us that the fight for justice spans continents and generations. We need to pause here and remind ourselves of those who are the victims of genocide – as well as those – affected by ongoing wars for “critical” resources like in Darfur.

Last year, the conference focused on accountability in the age of transition. Once again, we asked who benefits. Communities and workers continue to suffer, while corporations and political elites profit. The so-called “green transition” is largely a benefit for the powerful, and real environmental or social responsibility remains rare.

Conference overview by Moses Cloete  (Executive Director of  the Bench Marks Foundation) 

In his opening remarks, Moses Cloete, Executive Director of the Bench Marks Foundation, offered a sobering reflection on the state of mining in South Africa and the broader continent. He began by thanking the Riverlea community for once again opening its doors to the Foundation. 

It was in this very venue, back in 2017, that the study Waiting to Inhale was launched. That report looked at Soweto and its surroundings. As the title suggests, people could not breathe, and this was the result of tailings and waste from the mines. Tailings are essentially waste accumulated from mining, dug from the earth and left in small mountains. If you don’t know the area, you might think that Johannesburg is a city full of little hills, but in reality, these are the damaging remnants of mining.

The question of properly closing mines is critical. There are about 6,000 mines that are not closed properly. The land is never restored to its original state, and communities bear the consequences. It also lays at the origins of the Zama-Zama incursions. We are in a mining town, and just across the road, the impact is visible.

Mining began here when gold was discovered back in the 1880s and although we can debate its effects, the consequences are still with us today. A report by the Attorney General indicated that around 2,000 abandoned, derelict and ownerless mines are in a critical state, while pointing out that DMRE had done next-to -nothing to close or ensure those corporations responsible close and rehabilitate those in a critical state. In Snake Park, Soweto, children suffer from cerebral palsy, and it is suspected that proximity to mine dumps plays a role. These dumps are right in front of residential areas, and they continue to grow. This is a clear example of where urgent and real accountability is required.

In Africa, we have all these minerals that we should be benefiting from in a sustainable way. “Justice” in mining is not just about extraction, but about restoration, responsibility, and respect for the communities who live with its legacy.  

Much of the mining narrative is spun to appear positive, but the reality is different. Mine owners and capital often present an image of responsibility, while hiding the negative impacts of mining. Mining, in South Africa and across the continent, is a natural endowment. Unlike countries in the north, such as the Nordic nations, South Africa does not even have “sovereign wealth funds” to capture mining benefits for future development.

Millions of people are affected as companies like Anglo America retreat, mining only what remains profitable. The legacy of improperly closed mines will continue. In areas like Rustenburg, companies focus on more profitable sites while leaving others abandoned. Profit is prioritized over proper closure and environmental responsibility, and this pattern continues to drive exploitation and damage.

Issues around informal miners, or Zama Zamas, are also critical. The response of the state has often been brutal, with tragic consequences, including deaths during forced closures. Legal interventions have sometimes been necessary to protect miners, highlighting systemic failure.

In 2023, our discussions focused on critical raw materials. The meaning of critical minerals evolves over time from coal in the industrial revolution, to gold, platinum, and now other minerals needed for the global energy transition. The exploitation of these resources continues to impact communities disproportionately.

We also reflected on global injustices, such as the ongoing situation in Palestine, linking the struggle for natural resources to broader issues of oppression, displacement, and state violence. Genocides, both historic and ongoing, remind us that the fight for justice spans continents and generations. We need to pause here and remind ourselves of those who are the victims of genocide – as well as those – affected by ongoing wars for “critical” resources like in Darfur.

Last year, the conference focused on accountability in the age of transition. Once again, we asked who benefits. Communities and workers continue to suffer, while corporations and political elites profit. The so-called “green transition” is largely a benefit for the powerful, and real environmental or social responsibility remains rare.