New mining law amendment ‘won’t touch’ illegal kingpins: Benchmarks

The Benchmarks Foundation has expressed doubts that the proposed General Mining Laws Amendment Bill will effectively target the key players behind illegal mining activities. The government aims to strengthen mining laws by imposing stringent penalties and criminalizing illicit mining operations, with potential fines reaching R100 million and imprisonment up to 30 years.

Despite these proposed measures, David van Wyk, a Lead Researcher and activist from the Benchmarks Foundation, remains skeptical. He asserts that identifying and apprehending the syndicates funding the illegal mining operations will prove exceedingly difficult. "I haven't seen any efforts to identify who those syndicates are, where the minerals go, and for me, this is the problem," he declares.

Van Wyk further argues that law enforcement should focus on the influential individuals controlling these syndicates, rather than solely targeting the miners themselves. He emphasizes the need to scrutinize wealthy individuals in affluent areas, such as Sandton, as they hold the potential to control the illegal mining networks.