Growing discontent amongst miners, trade unions and mining communities over low wages and poor living conditions have sparked a wave of strike and protest action across the sector over the past few years, which has resulted in a decline of the country’s GDP and shaken investor confidence.

Lengthy strikes have also had devastating impacts on communities, with local businesses struggling to survive and strikers having to obtain loans, often at high interest rates through unregulated and/or unlawful mechanisms. The effect of this is that miners are driven even deeper into poverty as the repayment of loans may be unaffordable, despite any wage increase which may have ensued.

The mining industry has faced various social, economic, cultural and political challenges. Despite the progressive and extensive regulatory mechanisms in place - aimed at promoting equitable access of resources to all the people of South Africa - significant levels of poverty, inequality and poor service delivery persist in mining-affected communities.

The SAHRC has received numerous complaints about the negative consequences of mining and in response has had various consultations with affected communities in Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Systemic and complex challenges faced by mining-affected communities have been raised with the Commission, which include, but are not limited to:

• Non-compliance by holders of prospecting, mining, exploration or production rights with the legal framework, including regulatory requirements and corporate social obligations;
• Failures in compliance monitoring and enforcement;
• Insufficient consultation with interested and affected parties, lack of transparency and limited access to information;
• Limited cooperation and/or collaboration between mining companies, traditional authorities, local government and communities;
• The creation of tension and division within communities as a result of mining operations; and
• Limited development and social upliftment of communities affected by mining.
The Hearings will provide an opportunity for key stakeholders in government and civil society to respond to the issues raised in testimonies and consultations presented to the Commission.  

The media is invited to cover and report on the hearing
 
Date: 13th – 14th September 2016 (2 day hearing)
Time: 09:00 – 16:00
Media Briefing: 08.30-09h00 on 13th September 2016
Venue: 4th Floor Main Boardroom
SAHRC Head Office, Forum 3 Braampark, 33 Hoofd Str, Braamfontein
Click here for the programme
 
Gail Smith – SAHRC Spokesperson, Tel: 011 877 3600 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission

To RSVP or for media enquiries, please contact Alucia Sekgathume on 082 689 2364/011 877 3627 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.