Bench-Marks Foundation wants answers in Rustenburg mining tragedy – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.
Social advocacy group, Bench-Marks Foundation says many questions remain unanswered around the circumstances that led to the incident that claimed the lives of 14 illegal miners in Nkaneng near Rustenburg in North West.
Although the incident occurred within an area managed by Sustenza Trading, the company’s compliance with applicable laws governing licenses and permits is still in question.
Sustenza Trading was afforded a permit for mine exploration of Platinum Group Metals at the site.
The foundation’s David van Wyk, says, “I checked up on the mining company on the internet. All mining companies are supposed to publish their environmental impact assessment, their environmental management plan, as well as their social and labor plans, and I can’t find any evidence that this company has any of these things. And so, I wonder how it gets a permit when it does not actually meet the basic requirements for having a mining license. And mining licenses, these days, are very easily issued without it being necessarily any compliance.”
Efforts to get comment from Sustenza Trading was not successful.