Sungula Nkabinde reports that, barring a few exceptions, submissions from government departments at the national hearing on the socio-economic challenges facing mining-affected communities left a lot to be desired.  

The first two days of the hearing, held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), saw government representatives who were ill-prepared, while others provided totally inaccurate information.  “The commission put some very direct questions to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and, for the most part, they responded inadequately, in my opinion,” said Catherine Horsfield of the Centre for Environmental Rights.  The DMR also came under fire from a number of non-governmental organisations like the Bench Marks Foundation and the Legal Resources Centre.  The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLF) was the worst of the bunch.  Suffice to say, the commissioners were not impressed.  The hearing will resume on the 26th and 28th of September, when it will hear from mining companies, municipalities, communities.

• Read this report in full at Mineweb

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page