Illegal mining hits heritage

Makhonjwa Mountain and Pilgrim's Rest are hotspots - MEC. Mpumalanga environmental law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders are fighting illegal mining, which is engulfing heritage sites, according to the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs MEC Brenda Moeketsi. Moeketsi disclosed this during a recent question and answer session in the provincial legislature. Illegal mining is destroying agricultural land, heritage sites and damaging wetlands and other sensitive environments. In 2021, Makhonjwa Mountain was declared a World Heritage Site due to its volcanic and sedimentary rock formations dating back 3.5 billion years. Although mining is not allowed in the area, the environmental law enforcement agencies have been fighting illegal miners there for a long time. Some sites negatively impacted by illegal mining include the historic town of Pilgrim’s Rest. “Through the department’s enforcement unit, the Green Scorpions, it plays a key role in monitoring environmental compliance and investigating environmental offences linked to illegal mining activities,” Moeketsi said. There is a joint task force that focuses on combating illegal mining at Makhonjwa Mountain and Pilgrim’s Rest, which are hotspots for illegal mining activities. “These collaborative interventions have yielded positive results, including the arrest of several suspects.” But the challenges were ongoing as illegal miners were well-resourced and had weapons. TLU chair Bennie van Zyl said agricultural land was under siege due to illegal and legal mining. DA member in the provincial legislature Cyril Chuene called on the provincial government to address the underlying causes of illegal mining.