CSOs 4 Tailings Justice

We are committed to building democratic community power to address the dangers of mine waste, including tailings facilities.

2025 Tailings Programme

28-30 July

LINK TO PRESENTATIONS BELOW

Day 1: Monday 28 July 2025 – Laying the basis

Venue: Sentinel House, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown, Johannesburg

10.30 am: Opening remarks of the gathering Tailings Working Group and programme convenor Hassen Lorgat

Hassen Lorgat has worked in the trade union movement including Mawu- NUMSA, SAMWU and SADTU. He has also worked in various NGOs as well as SANGOCO, civic associations as well as sporting organisations. His most recent activism has been around mining and extractivism working for many years with the Bench Marks Foundation and now is the convenor of the Civil Society Tailings Working Group.

Welcome and greetings Chair of the South African Human Rights Commission, Commissioner Chris Nissen

Commissioner Nissen worked with the Commission in January 2018 and in January 2024, Rev Nissen was appointed as the Chairperson of the SAHRC. As Chairperson, Rev Nissen is the Executive Authority of the SAHRC and is also responsible for providing oversight and support to all other focus areas. Chairperson Nissen leads the SAHRC’s interactions with Parliament (specifically the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development). 

Welcome by Bench Marks Foundation and Earthworks 

Moses Cloete is the executive director of the Bench Marks Foundation and has a long history in social justice work. He served in various positions with international movement, the Young Christian Workers and has also worked with a number of South African NGOs prior to working for the Bench Marks Foundation.

Keynote address: Reform and resistance in the shadow of a disaster

by Advocate Sandra Selokela Makoasha (Human Rights Commission)

Advocate Sandra Selokela Makoasha is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. She obtained her LLB qualification from the University of Witwatersrand. Commissioner Makoasha focal area: Pro-Human Rights Budgeting, Business and Human Rights, Health

View the presentation by Advocate Sandra Makoasha here

11.15 am: Tea Pause

11.45 am: Brief Inputs

  • Tailings: Andre van Willingh – Fraser Alexander (View presentation)

View the presentation by Andre van Willingh

  • Respondent: Nathi Mjenxane – Alliance for Law in Development (View presentation)
  • The Global Tailings Management Institute: .John Howchin, Special Advisor, The Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030, Sweden

John Howchin is the former Secretary General of the Council on Ethics of the Swedish National Pension Funds and is currently Chairman and CEO of Transition Inc, where he provides advisory services. He has been the Global Ambassador for the GTMI and the co-convener of the Investor.

View the presentation by John Howchin here

Q & A

1.30 pm: Lunch 

2.20 – 5 pm: Overviews on the issues: Mining Bill with participating communities and invited guests from Unions, NGOs and Movements

2.30 pm: Mining Bill and Critical Raw Materials

Resource persons:

  • Law and Development – Henk and Nathi
  • Eric Mokoua – Bench Marks Foundation
  • Robert  Krause – Centre for Applied Legal Studies

View the presentation by Robert Krause here

  • Tarisai Placedes Mugunyani – Centre for Environmental Rights

Union respondent:

  • Masibulele Naki (NUM health and Safety Secretary)

View the presentation by Masibulele Naki

Community respondents:

  • Nkosinathi Hlabeni
  • Mathapelo Thobejane
  • Thoko Mntambo
  • Anthony  Willams

3.30 pm: Critical Raw Materials 

Facilitator: Aseza Arthur Gungubele, Commissioner of the South African Human Rights Commission

Aseza Arthur Gungubele brings extensive experience in public service, having worked in various government sectors. He has held positions in the Western Cape Department of Education, specifically in Supply Chain and Finance. Commissioner Gungubele focal area is Migration, Human Settlement and Climate Justice

View the presentation by Commissioner Azeza Gungubele

Participants 

Jamie Kneen, Mining Watch Canada – thinking of the global onslaught 

View the presentation by Jamie Kneen

Shane Choshane, CNV International – the South African Strategy

Vuyi Ncube – Earthworks (To be confirmed) – of Lithium and more

Hassen Lorgat – linking the Mining Bill and Critical Minerals Rush

And various Community respondents:

Working Groups will be formed and continue for the duration of the Workshop – Conference

DAY 1 PHOTOS

Day 2: Tuesday 29 July 2025 – Deepening our Analysis

Venue: Holiday Inn Johannesburg Sunnyside Park Hotel

8.30 am: Recap from Day One

9.00 am: Panel: The Jagersfontein tragedy, the high court and has it been fixed?

Does the bill fix the gap?

  • Facilitator Hassen Lorgat
Members of the Jagersfontein Lerumo Justice Forum and two commissioners from the South African Human Rights Commission

View the presentation by Thabo Ishmael Chaledi from Jagersfontein Lerumo Justice Forum

  • Henk Smith – Alliance for Law in Development

Bench Marks Foundation board member specialising on legal issues for the organisation Henk Smith is not widely known in the media circles, but on the ground he has a great reputation as an organiser, expert in customary law, and particularly how law can be used to enable justice oriented solutions for the poor and marginalised.

View the input by Henk Smith here

11.00 am: Tea Pause and Breaking into working groups 

Collective reading of the documents 

Continue until 3pm.

3pm: In conversation with Vivian Herrera – Latin America Organiser, Mining Watch Canada

We will explore how people organised across sectors around the Cobre Panama mine, and how they are pushing for safe management of the tailings in a mine that has been closed

4pm: Afternoon tea

Brief report backs 

5pm: Meeting of scribes 

Day 3: Wednesday 30 July 2025 – Deepening our Organising

Venue: Holiday Inn Johannesburg Sunnyside Park Hotel

Building grassroots community power 

8.30 am: Mapping tailings? And for what?

Samkelisiwe Khanyile (GCRO) and Hassen Lorgat

9.30 am: Building Community Power continued

Roundtable from affected communities at home and internationally

Kroondal+Soweto+Jagersfontein

A report back and a discussion

11 am: Tea Pause

11.30 am: Honouring our stalwarts – Ma Tiny Dlamini and Ma Mariette Lieferink

12pm: Towards a Programme of action 2025/6

1.30 pm: Closing address – Tembeka Nicolas Ngcukaitobi SC (Tbc)

Vote of thanks by community member

 2 .30 pm: Lunch 

 Departure for others

 Work continues for drafters of responses to MPRDA and Critical Raw Materials

ABOUT

The Civil Society Tailings Working Group is supported by many community groups, a few trade unions and NGOs in particular the Bench Marks Foundation and Earthworks