There is potential, in South Africa, to better align mines’ social and labour plans with municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) for more effective and long-term broad-based development, Good Governance Africa research and programmes director Dr Ross Harvey has said.

In a dialogue held at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) on July 25, focused on the implications of creating a post-mining future for communities, he discussed how the mining sector could “do right” by communities after mines close.

The event was organised as part of the Successful Application of Technologies Centred Around People (Satcap) programme at the Wits Mining Institute (WMI).

Harvey noted that, despite the decline of the gold sector and impending decline of the coal sector, the South African mining sector was still a significant employer and export revenue generator.

He argued, however, that the sector required better regulations that integrated more clearly with other regulations pertaining to environmental management. He added that the way in which mining regulations were applied also needed to become more consistent.

“Instability disincentivises long-term investment,” he said.

He added that mining firms should cooperate with one another, as well as with their host communities and governments, to contribute to achieving their sustainable development goals.

Harvey also argued that technology could help with ensuring safer and more efficient mining practices, thereby helping to achieve more environmentally responsible operations.

He warned, however, that the introduction of new technology could displace labour, describing this as a “double-edged-sword in the context of South Africa’s high unemployment”, which could have a negative sociopolitical impact.

“The onus, therefore, is increasingly on companies and stakeholders to establish a job replacement or upskilling plan to deal with the disruptive effects of new technologies.”

Additionally, Harvey suggested that mining companies and governments should shift away from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) mindset to one focused on better integrating social and environmental responsibility into IDPs.

He also noted the importance of community engagement in mining, saying mine host communities need to feel they have an integral stake in the success of the mine and that they are recipients of value.

“We've got to make sure that mining companies can attain their licences a lot quicker and, at the same time, we've got to be better at . . . ensuring that mining doesn't take place in highly-sensitive areas and that, where it does take place, it doesn't destroy the environment and leave us with legacy effects that afflict us long after mining companies have closed."

Regarding beneficiation strategies in South Africa, Harvey argued that green industrialisation strategies that have strong sidestream and upstream links to mining should be introduced.