JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – There has been a renewed call for government to support formalising the country’s artisanal mining sector in efforts to address challenges including unemployment, as well as health and environmental challenges experienced in former and current mining areas.

This was expressed in a report, titled ‘Regularising Informal Artisanal Mining in South Africa – An Evidence-Based Report 2019’, which was commissioned by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa and compiled by the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Mining, in collaboration with nongovernmental organisation Action Aid.

The report was initiated following recommendations on the need for an evidence-based study for the sector in South Africa, to inform political and public discourses and allow for proper engagement between the stakeholders on the future of the artisanal mining sector.

Some of the challenges identified in the report for artisanal miners, commonly referred to as “zama-zamas”, include police abuses, human rights violations, health, safety and environmental issues.

Some key health issues include the lack of assessments and medical check-ups for the miners, a lack of healthcare facilities and health-related issues. In terms of safety, concerns include a lack of personal protective equipment and no rock support for underground workers.

Among the environmental impacts to consider are dust emissions and the use of mercury.

Lack of access to inputs including funding, poor skills development and limited technology were also raised by participants, of which there were 1 179 across Kimberley, Vlakfontein and Carletonville.

According to Action Aid, there is a missed opportunity for government by not engaging in the sector.

Action Aid country director Nondumiso Ntsibande, in a statement on Thursday, commented that the earnings from artisanal mining currently remained untaxed, marking a R7-billion loss for South Africa every year from illegal mining and the trade of precious metals and diamonds.

Artisanal mining, she said, could serve as a potential additional tax base for government, if regulated.

Recommendations on how this could be achieved were also included in the report, and include a recommendation for a strategic framework for artisanal mining to be compiled, as well as a call on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to review all relevant legal instruments, including mining, environmental management, land-use planning, labour conditions and occupational health and safety, besides others.

Action Aid also lamented government’s “criminalisation of zama-zamas, who are trying to make a living”, suggesting that government should instead clearly distinguish between illegal and informal mining.