The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, has assured the mining community that environmental legislation and regulations are not designed to hinder development, but to ensure that it is responsible, sustainable and resilient in the long term.
“In fact, they are inseparable and can yield much-needed economic benefit for all South Africans. Striking the balance is often difficult because South Africans need and want economic development, but not at the expense of the environment,” the Minister said on Sunday.
Aucamp was addressing the Mining Indaba Critical Minerals Ministerial Roundtable in Cape Town, which brought together African leaders, industry stakeholders, and investors to discuss the responsible development of the continent’s mineral resources amid global geopolitical uncertainty.
“In line with the department’s mandate, I have a constitutional and legislative mandate to protect the environment, enforce environmental laws, and integrate sustainability into various economic sectors. This includes the mining sector. In this regard, I serve as the appeal authority for Environmental Authorisations issued for prospecting and mining activities,” the Minister said.
In the mining context, this translates into the following responsibilities:
• Ensuring that environmental authorisations are credible, transparent and that decisions issued are legally defensible.
• Ensuring that such decisions do not negatively impact water resources, ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Enforcing compliance with environmental conditions of authorisation and rehabilitation obligations.
• Support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts; and
• ensure that environmental governance contributes to investment certainty and does not create unnecessary delays.
“I remain fully committed to working closely with the Department of Minerals and Petroleum (DMPR) to improve alignment and streamline processes and timeframes, where possible, within the environmental management sector.
“My department is already engaging with the DMPR in this regard, including through our ongoing collaboration on the Mineral Resources Development Bill."
Published in May 2025, the bill aims to restructure the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002 to amend and insert new definitions and to provide for matters relating to small-scale and artisanal mining among others.
“Together we can ensure that South Africa’s mining sector grows in a manner that support’s economic development, protect our natural heritage and delivers lasting benefits for generations to come,” the Minister said.
In his address at the Ministerial Symposium on Sunday, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said discussions at the Mining Indaba must focus on collaborations that will unlock the full potential of critical minerals for the benefit of all people. - SAnews.gov.za
