Responses to mine downscaling: Evidence from secondary cities in the South African Goldfields

Marais, Lochner; Rooyen, Deidré van; Nel, Etienne; Lenka, Molefi

doi:10.1016/j.exis.2017.01.004

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…We divided the mining ICMs into two subcategories: ICMs : mining decline (×4) and ICMs : mining growth (×7) (see Table 2). We included Matlosana, which is listed as a service centre in Table 1, in the ICMs : mining decline category, as it has experienced a rapid decline in mining over the past 30 years (Marais et al, 2017). Its current categorisation as a service centre is because it has lost its dominant mining function.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…South African research has produced case studies of mine decline (Binns & Nel, 2001; Marais, 2013; Marais & De Lange, 2021; Marais et al, 2017) and the effect of mining on host communities (Cole & Broadhurst, 2021). However, our paper is the first to use the categories of the South African urban system to analyse the effect of mine decline on crime.…”

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The economic decline in the gold mining areas has had severe social and economic consequences. Several case studies (Marais, 2013; Marais & De Lange, 2021; Marais et al, 2017; Sesele et al, 2021a) point to social disruption associated with mine decline, but they lack comparative and longitudinal indicators.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mine closure, social disruption, and crime in South Africa

Marais

Ndaguba

Mmbadi

et al. 2022

Geographical Journal

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The international literature links mining booms with social disruption. The rapid economic and population growth that mining brings increases urban crime and social problems. But insufficient attention has been paid to the reverse situation: the social disruption that can accompany the closure of a mine. We compare crime statistics for four categories of small city, known in South Africa as “intermediate city municipalities,” from 2009 to 2018. Contrary to the findings of international studies, we find that those where mining was in decline had some of the highest crime rates, particularly in the category of sexual offences, whereas those where mining was growing had the lowest. Our research shows that mine decline and closure can contribute to social disruption. We argue that South African government policy has exacerbated this problem in the context of mine decline and that several dependencies created by mining further contribute to the problem. We challenge the assumption that fast population growth and an increase in the male population are prerequisites for social disruption. Our paper suggests the need for modifications to social disruption theory.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Mine closure, social disruption, and crime in South Africa

Marais

Ndaguba

Mmbadi

et al. 2022

Geographical Journal

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“…Cole & Broadhurst (2020), on the other hand, cite the social and labour plans that are a requirement of mining in South Africa, which plays an important role as part of the strategy to achieve an SLO; however, they limit themselves to only mentioning the concept. In a similar vein, other articles submit that social and labour plans in South Africa have practically become the social licence itself (Marais 2013;Marais et al 2017Marais et al , 2018a.…”

Section: Social Licence To Operatementioning

confidence: 96%

“…A mining company also rarely has either complete approval or zero acceptance, being unlikely that either all or no stakeholders at all will approve of its mining activities (Kivinen et al 2018). Marais et al (2017) further point out questions and inconsistencies in the use of this term and the lack of SLO practices, especially in mine closure procedures. According to them, despite much talk about planning for closure, there is little evidence that social licence is being used to plan for a post-mining economy.…”

Section: Social Licence To Operatementioning

confidence: 99%

Social aspects in the process of mine closure: evolution and avenues for future research agenda

Demajorovic¹,

Xavier²,

Pimenta³

et al. 2022

Mine Closure 2022: 15th Conference on Mine Closure

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Historically, the undertaking of mine closure has emphasised facility decommissioning, environmental recovery and remediation, and the adoption of measures and programs that promote the physical and chemical stability of the mining area. This fundamental concern with the physical and environmental aspects of closure allowed for the development of deep knowledge of the technical environmental issues involved. However, the integration of social aspects into the process of mine closure is a more recent theme. The effects of a mine closure on the community can persist for many years after a mine ceases operations, which causes several negative socio-economic impacts on the physical and mental wellbeing of residents. This paper mainly discusses the theoretical evolution of the integration of social impacts into mine closure studies. Based on a systematic literature review on mine closure, the results show a recent trend, although still incipient, of valuing social aspects. Against this backdrop, three main analytical categories emerge from the literature when considering the social dimension of mine closure and the post-mining period: the social licence to operate, engagement and participation, and vulnerability.

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