Parliament, Thursday 29 January 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources has expressed concern about the misalignment between the strategic objectives of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the human resources needed to implement them at the regional level.
The committee today held an intensive engagement with the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) regional office, during which key issues, including the licensing of prospective mines, illegal sand mining and the governance of community mining trusts, were discussed.
“The committee recognises the fiscal pressures facing government departments,” said the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Mikateko Mahlaule. “However, the gap between strategy and the structure required at regional offices severely impedes the department’s ability to implement its mandate timeously. This ultimately compromises the potential of mining as a key economic driver.”
Mining is key to South Africa’s economic development. The discovery of lithium deposits and iron ore in KwaZulu-Natal, and the downstream impact of their exploration and mining, has the potential to generate more than 5 000 much-needed jobs in the province. However, this opportunity risks being undermined by persistent capacity challenges in the regional office.
“The committee is of the view that the lack of capacity in many regional offices compromises the noble intentions of Operation Phakisa,” said Mr Mahlaule. “Operation Phakisa has identified mining as a key driver of economic growth through the elimination of administrative bottlenecks, the promotion of investment and the assurance of sustainable development. This worrying trend must be halted and urgently reversed,” he said.
The committee also reiterated its call for zero tolerance against illegal sand mining in the province. It welcomed collaboration between the department and law enforcement agencies but remains concerned that the inadequate number of Environmental Mineral Resource Inspectors (EMRIs) weakens compliance monitoring and enforcement. In addition, delays in adjudicating mining applications might exacerbate illegal mining activities.
The committee cautioned that focusing primarily on illegal miners is unlikely to end illegal mining. It called for firm action against syndicates that exploit the desperation of undocumented migrants and unemployed youth. “To effectively eradicate illegal mining, it is imperative to arrest and prosecute the syndicates that are robbing South Africa of taxable revenue derived from mining,” Mr Mahlaule said.
The committee also noted a need for strengthened oversight of Social and Labour Plans (SLPs) to ensure meaningful social development. It noted that mining companies must be answerable for fulfilling the commitments made in their SLPs. On community mining trusts, the committee acknowledged that the department currently lacks a legal mandate to pursue community beneficiation. However, it stressed the importance of developing mechanisms that shift the focus from simple compliance to generating lasting, positive social and economic impacts. Improving the governance and accountability in the mining trusts is essential to achieving broad-based development.
In this regard, the committee will meet with Richards Bay Minerals and Amakhosi today to address allegations of misuse of community mining trusts. “Our preoccupation is to ensure that communities genuinely benefit from these trusts, as they are a major driver of socio-economic development,” Mr Mahlaule said.
The committee has committed to pursuing broader legislative reforms to remove barriers in the mineral and petroleum resources sector.
The full oversight programme can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/pf7bxryd
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON MINERALS AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES, MR MIKATEKO MAHLAULE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the Committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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