Development of planning and management strategies for dealing with problems of proliferated sand and gravel mining in selected villages of Thulamela Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Sand and gravel resources are the most important raw materials for the construction of infrastructure and buildings. However, extraction activities negatively affect settings for the resources and cause adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts that manifest during and after mining. Sand and gravel mining change natural landscape, contribute to loss of biodiversity and indigenous vegetation, reduce cultivation fields, and result to infrastructure damage and habitat destruction. Poor understanding of these impacts has led to a lack of planning and management strategies to curb such problems. The main aim of this study was to develop planning and management strategies for dealing with problems of proliferated sand and gravel mining in selected villages of Thulamela Local Municipality. The study involved compilation of a comprehensive inventory of sand and gravel mining in the study area, assessment of environmental impacts of sand and gravel mining activities in the area, examination of the current management of sand and gravel mining in the area and development of action plan for curbing haphazard sand and gravel mining. The research approach used in collecting data involved interviewing key informants, review of existing documents and field observation from thirty-five respondents, eleven informants and fourteen mining operations. The data was analyzed by means of descriptive and thematic analysis methods. The environmental impacts of the mining operations were assessed using Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix. The development of planning and management strategies to deal with problems of sand and gravel mining was through consulting literature and considering the suggestions made by the key informants and sand miners. The study shows that sand and gravel mining cause adverse impacts on the receiving environment and the operations contravene the provisions of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act and the National Environmental Management Acts. The adverse impacts identified at the study area include degradation of the natural landscape, loss of biodiversity and indigenous vegetation, reduced cultivation fields, air pollution, soil erosion, infrastructure damage and habitat destruction. However, the study revealed that sand and gravel mining activities offers direct and indirect employment opportunities to machine operators, tipper truck drivers, bricklaying workers and construction workers. It emerged that sand and gravel miners do not possess mining permits and environmental authorisations. A lack of knowledge of statutes regulating sand mining and a lack of compliance inspections and enforcement contributed to these findings. This is a clear indication that there is laxity on the part of the iv Department of Mineral Resources in executing its primary and mandatory duty of regulating sand mining operations. An action plan has been developed for controlling haphazard and reckless sand and gravel mining. The planning and management strategies devised/formulated to address the existing problems at the study area were awareness campaigns, the establishment of sand mining forums, discovering and mapping sand and gravel deposits, environmental impact assessment, compliance inspections, enforcing compliance and rehabilitation of the mined sites. Sand mining operations should be legalized to promote sustainable mining and enhance the economic benefits associated with sand mining. Also, enforcement of regulatory framework for sand mining must be prioritized to reduce social and environmental problems.