Today the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo will lay a criminal complaint with the South African Police Service (SAPS) regarding the latest attempt to illegally mine sand from the Sand River, near its mouth in the northern region of Vhembe, Limpopo. In addition to addressing unauthorized sand mining, we will also highlight the cynical and deliberate attempts to circumvent the laws governing the consideration of sand mining applications.
The proliferation of illegal sand mining from riverbeds across Limpopo has severe environmental, ecological, and social consequences. It has serious implications for rural communities and the agricultural sector, as it disrupts the natural flow of rivers, leading to reduced surface water availability for human consumption and farm irrigation, particularly during dry seasons. This places an additional burden on farmers who depend on river water to sustain their crops.
In addition to these illegal sand mining operations, there have been deliberate attempts to bypass the provisions of both the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
Under the MPRDA, less stringent measures apply to sand mining applications covering areas under 5 hectares. However, to evade stricter regulations, we have observed a disturbing trend where multiple applications for adjacent pockets of land, each under 5 hectares, are submitted—either under a single entity, multiple entities, or individuals linked to one another.
Furthermore, in many cases, the same Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) oversees these multiple applications, raising serious ethical concerns about their professional integrity. This unethical practice has been particularly rampant in the Sand River area of Limpopo.
The DA in Limpopo strongly condemns these actions and calls for strict enforcement of the law to protect our natural resources, communities, and the agricultural sector. We urge law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to take decisive action against those involved in these unlawful and unethical practices.
We will continue to highlight this issue and use all available means to ensure these illegal practices are brought to an immediate end.