• IN THE STOPE
obtains the ‘ licence ’. Those who do not get a ‘ licence ’, just start mining , and do not comply to any rules , while down the road the ‘ legally responsible ’ operator has to comply with all the laws and regulations . A clear level of discrimination .
Due to this , many small operations just refuse to comply and often act in an illegal manner . When a smaller operation has to comply , one finds many of them just mining illegally .
The Mining Legislation is South Africa is developed for a ‘ general mining ’ regime . Big mines have staff and systems , whereas the smaller players cannot keep up and battle to comply . This includes health and safety , environmental and other issues . The regulator ’ s various regional offices all have different views about laws and different interpretation about their application . Employers with more than one operation finds it difficult keep up with different interpretations . The problem is if the law is not clear , equal and fair , then there is uncertainty and non-compliance .
Nico , the construction sector has been through a horrid four or five years , how has it affected quarries that produce aggregate material and cement ? For example , has there been a significant drop in the number of operating quarries in South Africa over the last two years or so ? What about cement plants ? Do you feel that the current situation will improve soon ?
Yes , the construction industry , after the 2011 World Cup had a drop . The building materials industry has had sad and good stories . Some quarries and mines have been affected and with Covid-19 , some have been mothballed . The problem is that those who do not make it , was already in a wobbly situation before Covid-19 . Other companies are opening and buying the weaker sites . It is clear that where operations have strong and good management teams they survive , where they are weak , they struggle to keep up .
You have extensive experience in dealing with mining operations for many years . What do quarries and mining operations normally get wrong when it comes to environmental compliance and what should they look out for that can cause production interruptions ?
Environmental issues have become much more important in the smaller surface mines . Environmental legislation is wide , complicated , not coordinated and often not clearly written . For an operation to know all about the complicated mining legislation , is not viable as the field is complicated and depends on interpretations and views . Most environmentalists do not understand the operation of a small surface mine or quarry . Aspasa has and is developing a new way of handling the environmental impacts to make it easier for managers and operations to handle this complicated field .
Do you agree that mining regulations are ominous for smaller mining companies and new entrants to the sector and why ? In your view , what can government do to make it easier for smallscale and new mining companies to operate in South Africa ?
Mining legislation , regulations and codes of practices are all very complicated . Most of the legislation is written for big mines , which is not only difficult to implement , but also is costly and cumbersome .
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Mining • February 2021
Are there any good aspects of South African mining regulations and of the way juniors operate in South Africa that can be duplicated in the rest of Africa ?
The South African basic legislation is of a high standard . Not allowing fatalities to occur in mines is an important issue in South African mining . The rest of Africa is not documented , so what happens in some other African countries is not clear . We , as Aspasa , have a health and safety audit system for our members which is viewed as one of the best in the world .
Mining is the backbone of the South African economy . Without mining we are lost as a country . Our government departments and the mining industries employers are very well organised and coordinated . This means that when somebody operates in this industry , they can be assured that it is a well-run industry .
What advice would you give young entrepreneurs that want to start their own mining companies and quarries in South Africa ? What are the potential pitfalls and how can they negotiate the difficult circumstances in the country ?
To start a mining business in this part of the world is challenging . There has to be a clear market for the minerals you intend mining . Construction materials are not exported like other commodities as the use is at ‘ home ’. Getting the paperwork and understanding it is something that is often ignored . Purchasing crushers and other machines , plant and equipment is a crucial aspect and of utmost importance , as a quarry is not an easy operation to run . It is always beneficial to partner with somebody that already has experience in the industry . • www . africanmining . co . za