The South African government must “open up” the construction sector so that small and artisanal mining, and quarrying operations, can contribute to government’s plans to improve and establish new infrastructure, urges professional body for surface mining and quarrying the ASPASA Small Surface Mining Association.

The quarrying sector of South Africa should be supported by public- and private-sector capitalisation through increased use of its products, which will enable the sector to modernise and optimise operations and services, says ASPASA director Letisha van den Berg.

This will, in turn, address economic pressures and the lack of growth in the quarrying sector, she adds.

“We have one strength: to create opportunities and that is extraction of the raw minerals. ASPASA members can certainly play a vital role in rare earth raw material extraction, and this has a huge potential for the future of mining.”

It is important for all industries – including government, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and the public and private sectors – to collaborate with the mining and quarrying sectors and adopt modern technologies for extracting rare earth minerals. This could be used to grow the South African economy through exports and domestic use, Van den Berg adds.

Adopting Modern Technologies

Van den Berg says it is important to acknowledge the importance of implementing entry-level technologies that will improve employee health and safety at mining and quarrying operations, especially small-scale operations where funding and expertise may be lacking.

One type of technology that can enhance health and safety at quarrying sites is Level 7 collision avoidance systems, as they reduce the likelihood of vehicular accidents, fatal collisions or other vehicle-human impacts where machinery and humans operate.

In addition, personnel locator systems are beneficial in instances where quarry staff need to locate unaccounted-for personnel in scenarios of, for example, material collapses or displacement. In this regard, a mine’s risk assessment needs to determine the need for such technologies.

Operations Improvement

ASPASA is providing mining and quarrying operators with solutions to further enhance their respective operations by appealing to government, NGOs and the private sector to collaborate in making more opportunities available through the construction and infrastructure development sector and to use South African small-scale surface mining and quarrying outputs in this endeavour, says Van den Berg.

The association also advocates for the adoption of new legislation that will contribute to members’ sustainability, employee health and safety, and efficient procedures.

The new Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Guidance Note from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources will be beneficial to women in the quarrying sector in terms of protecting them from workplace abuse, harassment and other disparities.

Other developments, such as February-instituted amendments to the Mine Health and Safety Act that involve emergency preparedness, first aid and rescue; and the Mine Health and Safety Council Chapter 22.9 Regulation for occupational hygiene, will enable ASPASA to further promote its efforts to ensure occupational health and safety in the quarrying sector, adds Van den Berg.

Although the association was part of the process in the development of the legislation and code of practices, government does not always heed all its legislative advice.

Nonetheless, she says ASPASA tries its best to influence decision-making in this regard, especially regarding government’s stance on catering to smaller miners and quarries with size-appropriate laws.

Considering that illegal mining has caused economic distress in South Africa, with its illicit markets, lack of regulations and criminal nature, the association is constantly in discussion with legislative bodies regarding a way forward to better control or regulate this situation.

For example, to address illegal mining, Van den Berg suggests an improvement regarding access to market by companies involved in the extractives industry, and an adjustment to the costs of market entry according to the size of a mine or a quarry.

This approach, she says, will improve local and international investment into South African mining and quarrying projects, and positively contribute to employment.