The DA in Limpopo will write to the Chairperson to request that the Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Portfolio Committee investigate the growing number of illegal sand mining operations in the province. The Committee must also question LEDET about efforts to bypass laws regulating sand mining applications, especially those related to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
The proliferation of illegal sand mining from riverbeds across Limpopo has severe environmental, ecological, and social consequences. It impacts on rural communities and the agricultural sector, as it disrupts the natural flow of rivers, leading to reduced 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 ongoing, cynical and 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 EIA measures (A Basic Assessment) apply to sand mining applications covering areas under 5 hectares. To evade stricter regulations, there is 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 LEDET, as the duly authorised environmental regulator, along with the DMRE and law enforcement agencies, to take decisive action against those involved in these unlawful and devious practices.
Where approvals have been legitimately granted we need to ensure that such sand mining operations are properly monitored and that rehabilitation occurs.
Apart from calling on the portfolio committee to probe the matter, we will also request details of all sand mining EIA applications submitted and their outcomes.
We will continue to highlight this issue and use all available means to ensure these illegal and cunning practices are brought to an immediate end.