AgriSA raises alarm over Mineral Resources Amendment Bill threats | AgriSA waarsku teen risiko’s van Wysigingswetsontwerp op Minerale Hulpbronne

13 August 2025

AgriSA expresses serious concern over the Draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill (2025), published in May 2025 for public comment by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.

While the Bill purports to streamline regulation and promote inclusive economic development, its current form poses significant risks to South Africa’s agricultural sector, food security, and rural sustainability.

The Bill introduces provisions that would allow artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations to access private agricultural land without any guidance as to how meaningful consultation should take place or on compensation requirements. This undermines constitutionally protected property rights and threatens the viability of farming operations, particularly in high-potential agricultural zones.

The absence of cumulative environmental impact assessments and enforceable rehabilitation guarantees further exposes landowners to long-term degradation without remedy.

AgriSA is deeply concerned that the Bill was not subjected to a Socio-Economic Impact Assessment (SEIA), as required by Cabinet policy. Had such an assessment been conducted, the risks to food production, water quality and rural livelihoods would have been evident.

Beyond the Bill, the broader relationship between mining and agriculture remains fraught. Fragmented permitting regimes, opaque consultation processes, and weak enforcement mechanisms continue to erode trust and compromise land-use planning. Mining activities often disrupt irrigation infrastructure, contaminate water sources, and leave behind unrehabilitated land, thereby jeopardising both current and future agricultural productivity.

AgriSA calls on government to:

• Withdraw the current Bill and subject it to a full SEIA;
• Introduce binding landowner consent for mining on zoned agricultural land;
• Align mining legislation with the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Act (PDALA);
• Establish a single-window permitting system with integrated land-use screening; and
• Enforce cumulative environmental and water impact assessments for all mining activities.

South Africa’s future depends on a balanced approach to resource development that respects the rights of farmers, protects the environment, and ensures long-term food security. AgriSA remains committed to ensuring the interests of farmers and calls on all stakeholders to impose on government the importance of a properly regulated, transparent and sustainable mining industry that can properly co-exist with agriculture.

Enquiries

Janse Rabie

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AgriSA spreek ernstige kommer uit oor die Konsepwysigingswetsontwerp op die Ontwikkeling van Minerale Hulpbronne (2025), wat in Mei 2025 vir openbare kommentaar deur die Departement van Minerale en Petroleumhulpbronne gepubliseer is.

Terwyl die wetsontwerp voorgee om regulering meer vaartbelyn te maak en inklusiewe ekonomiese ontwikkeling te bevorder, hou die huidige vorm daarvan beduidende risiko’s vir Suid-Afrika se landbousektor, voedselsekerheid en landelike volhoubaarheid in.

Die wetsontwerp stel bepalings in wat ambagsmyners en kleinskaalse mynboubedrywighede (ASM) toegang tot private landbougrond sal toelaat sonder enige leiding oor hoe betekenisvolle konsultasie moet plaasvind of oor vergoedingsvereistes. Dit ondermyn grondwetlik beskermde eiendomsreg en bedreig die lewensvatbaarheid van boerderybedrywighede, veral in hoëpotensiaal-landbousones.

Die afwesigheid van kumulatiewe omgewingsimpakbeoordelings en afdwingbare rehabilitasiewaarborge stel grondeienaars verder bloot aan langtermyn-agteruitgang sonder herstelgeleenthede.

AgriSA is diep bekommerd dat die wetsontwerp nie aan ‘n Sosio-Ekonomiese Impakstudie (SEIA) onderwerp is nie, soos deur die kabinetsbeleid vereis word. As so ‘n assessering gedoen is, sou die risiko’s vir voedselproduksie, watergehalte en landelike lewensbestaan duidelik gewees het.

Buiten die wetsontwerp bly die breër verhouding tussen mynbou en landbou gespanne. Gefragmenteerde toelatingsregimes, ondeursigtige konsultasieprosesse en swak afdwingings-meganismes erodeer steeds vertroue en kompromitteer grondgebruikbeplanning. Mynbou-aktiwiteite ontwrig dikwels besproeiingsinfrastruktuur, besoedel waterbronne en laat ongerehabiliteerde grond agter, waardeur beide huidige en toekomstige landbouproduktiwiteit in gevaar gestel word.

AgriSA doen ‘n beroep op die regering om:

• die huidige wetsontwerp terug te trek en dit aan ‘n volledige SEIA te onderwerp;
• bindende toestemming van grondeienaars vir mynbou in te stel op gesoneerde landbougrond;
• mynbouwetgewing met die Wet op die Bewaring en Ontwikkeling van Landbougrond (PDALA) te laat ooreenstem;
• ‘n enkelbaan-toelatingstelsel te vestig wat geïntegreerde grondgebruik betref; en
• kumulatiewe omgewings- en waterimpakbeoordelings vir alle mynbouaktiwiteite af te dwing.

 

Suid-Afrika se toekoms hang af van ‘n gebalanseerde benadering tot hulpbronontwikkeling, wat die regte van boere respekteer, die omgewing beskerm en langtermynvoedselsekerheid verseker. AgriSA bly daartoe verbind om die belange van boere te verseker en doen ‘n beroep op alle belanghebbendes om die belangrikheid van ‘n behoorlik gereguleerde, deursigtige en volhoubare mynbedryf wat behoorlik saam met landbou kan bestaan van die regering te eis.

Navrae

Janse Rabie