Beat mining's swords into ploughshares‚ says church foundation

A church organisation has set out to be a peacemaker between mining companies and the communities where they operate.

The Bench Marks Foundation‚ which is backed by the South African Council of Churches and other faith bodies‚ wants to offer an independent problem-solving service.

“We have been saying to the industry that there is a big problem between mines and communities‚” said foundation director John Capel.

“Two things are needed. Communities need access to specialist expertise when it comes to mining‚ especially on things such as environmental and social impact assessments.

“Communities also lack access to social justice‚ so we have recommended building an independent grievance mechanism based on the United Nations global principles on business and human rights.”

The foundation’s proposal was tabled last Friday at a green mining workshop hosted at the University of Cape Town. Capel said the next step would be to raise the idea with the Chamber of Mines. Approaches to mining giants Anglo American and AngloGold Ashanti had been received with “openness”‚ he said.

Jennifer Broadhurst‚ from UCT’s Minerals to Metals unit‚ told the workshop that more than any other sector‚ mining was still grappling with the problems of the past. It had been built in an unequal and exploitative way‚ resulting in a huge trust deficit between mines‚ government and communities.

“We are seeing more and more case studies that show that the mining industry is in a transformational space‚” she said.

“Communities have not been their business in the past. There now seems to be a recognition that there has to be a lot more equity. The benefits of mining resources need to be shared more equitably.”

The chairman of AngloGold Ashanti‚ Sipho Pityana‚ admitted that the needs of communities had been misjudged.

“We should be plain – the world’s mining sector has not always discharged its enormous responsibility to governments and communities with requisite care and diligence‚” he said.

“Promises have been made and not kept. Risks have been misunderstood‚ routinely underestimated and poorly communicated.”

On Tuesday‚ Amnesty International called on local authorities to ensure that those suspected of criminal responsibility in relation to the Marikana killings — which took place five years ago — are brought to trial‚ and that the victims and their families receive reparations‚ including adequate compensation.