Attention: Editors and Reporters
Friday, 25 July 2025
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will participate in the 2nd Annual CSOs Tailings Conference Workshop from 28 to 30 July, hosted by the CSOs Tailings Working Group. The CSOs Tailings Working Group is supported by many non governmental organisations (NGOs), including trade unions.
The Conference will critically examine the proposed amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the government’s policy paper on critical raw materials. The central aim of the conference is to ensure that these legislative and policy frameworks align with Section 24 of the Constitution, which guarantees everyone the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing.
The Conference will bring together 30 participants, including community members, trade unionists, civil society organisations, and experts working on the politics of extractives, land removals, water extraction, and environmental degradation. Particular emphasis will be placed on amplifying the voices of marginalised communities and vulnerable groups to ensure inclusive dialogue and equitable outcomes. The workshop-conference will focus on tailings dams and mine waste which the organisers believe “we ignore at our own peril”.
Tailings dams — structures used to store mining waste — are becoming more vulnerable due to the impacts of climate change, particularly extreme weather events. Since the inaugural workshop-conference, at least a dozen disasters have taken place globally in various sectors of mining involving minerals such as gold, diamonds, tin, nickel, and copper. The untold story of these disasters is the loss of human and animal life and biodiversity. Organisers of this conference believe that these matters will get worse, if left unchecked.
One of the larger delegations will be the Jagersfontein Lerumo Justice Forum, who are demanding that government (the Department of Water and Sanitation and the NPA) release the report into the tailings disaster that took place almost three years ago, causing untold damage to lives and livelihoods, animal life, and the wider ecosystem. The response of then Minister Mantashe was that it was not his responsibility as he was hamstrung by law.
The fact that the bill is out for discussion at the same time as the policy paper on critical raw materials is no accident, says Hassen Lorgat, convenor of the CSOs Tailings Working Group. “There appears to be a deliberate attempt to further diminish the rights of impacted and affected individuals and communities to ensure a constant supply of critical raw materials which promises to usher in a clean green era of prosperity for all. But we know that mining as it exists has failed to meet the needs of host communities, many that have given up homes, land and access to water begs the question: what will make this new rush for strategic or critical raw materials any different”, Lorgat added.
The Mining Bill sets out to fix this gap, and the conference will deliberate on, amongst other things, how far it goes towards meeting the needs of mining impacted communities.
The first day of the conference, 28 July, will be hosted at the SAHRC’s offices at Sentinel House, Sunnyside Office Park, 32 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown. Commissioner Sandra Makoasha, whose portfolio focuses on Business and Human Rights, will deliver the keynote address titled ‘Reform and Resistance in the Shadow of a Disaster’. In her address, Commissioner Makoasha will reflect on the tensions between rebuilding and transforming societies in the wake of crises, while highlighting the critical role of human rights institutions in protecting dignity, fostering accountability, and strengthening resilience in the face of profound challenges.
In addition, Commissioner Aseza Gungubele, whose portfolio focuses on Climate, will facilitate a panel discussion on ‘Critical Raw Materials’. This session will explore the human rights, environmental, and economic dimensions of resource extraction and trade, underscoring the importance of responsible sourcing, community benefits, and policy reforms that promote sustainability and social justice.
Issued by
Hassen Lorgat, convenor
CSOs Tailings Working Group
+27 82 362 6180
For the editor:
CSOs 4 Tailings Justice 