Department of Mineral Resources to help curb illegal mining
Department of Mineral Resources to help curb illegal mining
The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg (COJ), councillor Herman Mashaba, will be engaging with the Minister of Mineral Resources in an attempt to address illegal mining issues.
This comes after the completion of inspections carried out by the Mayor, the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Transport, councillor Nonhlanhla Makhuba, the MMC for Health and Social Development, councillor Mpho Phalatse, Johannesburg Roads Agency, Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, the national Departments of Home Affairs and Mineral Resources, the South African Police Service, Transnet and civil society organisations.
Also Read: An inside look at illegal mining
“The inspections took place at sites throughout the CoJ where vandalism, theft of infrastructure and illegal mining remain the order of the day. Identified issues were multi-pronged in nature and cut across various government departments and institutions, as well as private sector players,” the Mayor said. He added that because of this, no single entity or institution can solve the problem at hand, and a multi-agency approach will be needed to address the crisis.
“During the visit, we witnessed how illegal mining, which takes place in dangerous old mine shafts, has threatened the safety of the community by coming into contact with the petroleum pipeline networks owned by Transnet,” he said.
The petroleum pipeline network – which is of national interest and strategic importance to the South African economy – conveys petroleum products from various refineries and related facilities to inland customers and the related infrastructure spans across five provinces, including Gauteng. The network runs through the following CoJ areas:
• Nasrec
• Riverlea
• Langlaagte
• Highgate
• Robertville
• Florida
• Roodepoort
• Mathollesville
“The Nasrec precinct, where the pipeline intersects with Sasol’s gas lines, is of great significance. Investigations have revealed that, if illegal mining activity continues within these old mining shafts, the entire FNB Nasrec precinct, including the iconic FNB Stadium, could go down in ruins as a result of unstable earth directly underneath the area. This is catastrophic considering the precious lives and property in the area, without even taking note of the economic impact it would have on both the city and the country,” said the Mayor.
In an effort to address this crisis, the Mayor will be meeting with the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane. “We will meet in order to plan how we can work together to avert this real threat to the CoJ. I have requested a report from all relevant stakeholders, which will be handed over to the Minister for consideration, in an effort to obtain the necessary support from National Government,” he concluded.
The mayor concluded by urging residents to report any suspicious or illegal mining activity taking place to the CoJ, by using the following channels:
• Twitter (@MyJra)
• Facebook (Johannesburg Roads Agency)
• Email (hotline@jra.org.za)
• Hotline (0860 Joburg (562 874))
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