Diamond-mining on the West Coast of South Africa, a mining hot spot for the precious stones, has permanently altered the social landscape of the nearby communities and has also affected water supplies to the communities, and 
marine and plant life.

A study released by the Bench Marks Foundation, an independent research company focusing on areas of corporate social responsibility, warns that if government does not intervene, the situation will worsen.

The foundation’s CEO, John Capel, said at the release of the study, titled ‘Corporate Social Responsibility in the Diamond Mining Industry on the West Coast of South Africa’, that the nearby communities were becoming restless about their situation.

“Community members across the board are very upset about the level of environmental degradation in the area caused by the mines. The study points out that the poor monitoring capacity
of the Department of Mineral Resources, and the visible gap 
between policies and practice of the mining companies, are to blame for this ruin,” said Capel.

A water sample taken from the Swartlintjies river, in the Northern Cape, shows a dramatic negative impact on the river by a De Beers tailings dam. Diamonds tailings are the piles 
of gravel that have been treated with seawater, owing to the scarcity of fresh water in the area, and then dumped on the tailings facility.

Capel reported that the sample contained, besides other things, traces of magnesium. It also contained sodium, which makes the water salty and bitter and is 
unsuitable for drinking by infants or persons on sodium-restricted diets. 
The samples also showed 
evidence of sulphates.

“These findings contradict the reports published by the mining companies involved in the area. Diamond major De Beers claims to recognise natural resources as 
a natural asset aligned in importance to diamonds. Measures include conservation projects, research on biodiversity, energy and climate care programmes and water management technologies,” said Capel.

He added that another company in the area, Trans Hex, stated that environmental management at all its operations was largely governed by its environmental policy, which set the company’s broad commitment to sound 
environmental management.

“The areas mined by Trans Hex around Hondeklip Bay, and by De Beers around Koingnaas and Kleinzee, look like moonscapes and will probably take hundreds 
of years to rehabilitate,” said Capel.

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