The department said they will follow-up with the relevant regional manager and thereafter take reasonable steps to remedy the situation after WITBANK NEWS took photos of a young man digging coal to sell to communities.
It is not that digging of the coal is a problem, it is the unsafe environment in the old abandoned mine pit that raised concern.
The young man said that poverty is the main reason he goes into the abandoned pit on a daily basis to dig the precious commodity that keeps so many families warm in the winter months.
He sells a bag of coal for R30 and with the cold fronts fast approaching the demand for coal will be higher.
WITBANK NEWS found four abandoned mine pits in the area. Photos of it were sent to DMR and two mining entities operating in the area, Vandu Mining and Witbank Brickworks.
Mr Phillip de Lange from Vandu Mining said the abandoned mine pits are not on their ground and do not belong to them.
Mr Wouter van Deventer from Witbank Brickworks did not reply.
After two weeks of nagging and several e-mails, DMR responded.
Ms Neliswa Chiloane from the DMR said Section 41 (2) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (of 2002) clearly indicates that “If the holder of a prospecting right, mining right or mining permit fails to rehabilitate or manage, or is unable to undertake such rehabilitation or to manage any negative impact on the environment, the minister may, upon written notice to such holder, use all or part of the financial provision contemplated in subsection (1) to rehabilitate or manage the negative environmental impact in question”. This section will be applied retrospectively with Section 45 and 47.
“Nonetheless, if the pollution is as a result of a mining activity that took place during the time whereby there was no environmental requirement that was compelling mining companies to rehabilitated/ restore the land as best as applicable to its original state, Section 46 will be applied”.
That does not say a lot, now it is wait and see if something will be done about the dangerous abandoned mine pits on the outskirts of the city.
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