To ensure a level playing field across the South African mining sector, better guidelines need to be developed to ensure the implementation of sustainable ‘social transitioning’ after mine closure, in addition to the requirements of social and labour plans (SLPs) and Mining Charter III, says mining consultancy SRK Consulting South Africa.
General guidelines for the social transitioning need to be developed by the industry regulator or the mining industry or through collaboration between these stakeholders to address the limited technical information available on social transitioning.
“These guidelines could hopefully stimulate dialogue on the principles of the social transition process and enable stakeholders, such as government, communities and developers, to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the resource and capacity requirements,” says SRK Consulting senior social scientist Jessica Edwards.
SRK Contributors:
Ashleigh Maritz, Jessica Edwards
Read the full article on Mining Weekly
