Mine closure in South Africa has to contend with a unique scale and diversity of mining and socio-economic contexts, as far as the apartheid legacy continues in the settlement patterns, inconsistent legislation in relation to responsibilities, capacitation levels and ability for various stakeholder groups to engage and contribute to solutions. The broad legislative requirements are insufficient to provide guidance for the case-by-case subtleties of the context within which the closure must occur. The demands and nuances of the specific situations are worked out, or overlooked, by the stakeholders themselves. This report is the output of a study to generate a locally relevant guideline for closure, taking into account local and global developments in the field, including existing closure toolkits. This report analyses international and local experiences of closure, with a view to providing South African practitioners and decision-makers with guidance on enhancing the management of the social and economic aspects of closure.
Stacey, J., Naude, A., Hermanus, M,. & Franke, P. (2010). The socio economic aspects of mine closure and sustainable development: Literature overview and lessons for the socio-economic aspects of closure (Report 1 of 2). Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry: Johannesburg, South Africa.