Anglo Platinum (Angloplat), the biggest producer of the precious metal, should have the report on its alleged human rights abuses by the end of the month, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) said on Friday.

“The investigation has been completed, and we are just going through the findings,” spokesperson Vincent Moaga told Mining Weekly Online.

The Commission would release the report sometime before the end of August, “if all goes well”, and would probably invite Angloplat to the launch, he added. No date had yet been set.

The SAHRC had previously said it was aiming to release the report around the end of July.

In March, Johannesburg-based ActionAid released a damaging report accusing Angloplat of human rights abuses in its relocation of communities to make way for platinum mining, which the miner dismissed as "distressing, one-sided and inaccurate".

The report claimed that the mining giant caused communities surrounding its mines to lose their farmland and access to fresh water.

This led the platinum giant, 77%-owned by Anglo American, to release its own report, entitled ‘The Real Facts', which called ActionAid's allegations an "unwarranted attack on its integrity".

Angloplat also flew a group of journalists to the relevant communities, showing them the new houses it had built for the local population, which were electrified and had fresh water supplies.

It had also built a number of new schools and other infrastructure.

To subscribe to Mining Weekly's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.