Calls are growing for the legalisation of artisanal mining by communities around mining towns

JOHANNESBURG - There are growing calls for the legalisation of artisanal mining by communities living in and around mining towns.

On Wednesday, civil group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) held a coordinated march across five provinces to the Department of Mineral Resources' offices.

They submitted their inputs to the draft Mineral Resources Development Bill.

Among other things, the draft Mineral Resources Development Bill aims to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining through a licensing regime.

MACUA believes formalising artisanal mining will assist many people living near mining towns.

The group’s Sabelo Mnguni said, "When it comes to mining, once mining ceases to operate, we are left without an economy, and the only economy in the community is mining, whether formal or informal. So in the absence of formal employment, the informal economy becomes the order of the day, which includes mining, and informal mining becomes the order of the day.”

Mnguni said the formalisation of artisanal mining will also assist in dealing with illegal mining and its accompanied dangers.