The Draft Mine Community Resettlement Guidelines published in December 2019 by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) signal a positive start in our journey towards a framework for sustainable community resettlement practices.
It is clear that resettlement is a growing concern in the development of large public and private projects in sectors like mining and energy. The physical and economic displacement of a community is generally an irreversible step with serious implications – both for the project-affected people (PAP) and for developers whose projects demand access to land and subsequently resettlement. International guidelines promote avoidance of resettlement during project design wherever possible. However, where resettlement cannot be avoided, careful management is required to ensure positive and sustainable outcomes for all involved.
The initiative to develop these guidelines for South Africa comes on the back of the South African Human Rights Commission report on the underlying socio-economic challenges of the country’s mining-affected communities.
SRK Contributors:
Jessica Edwards, Adel Malebana
