Provincial committee demands urgent crackdown amid environmental devastation
The North West Provincial Legislature's Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism has voiced deep concern over the surge in unlawful mining operations and unauthorised chrome wash plants proliferating across the province, with the Bojanala and Madibeng regions identified as particular hotspots.
The alarm was sounded following a recent sitting between the committee and the provincial Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism, during which a raft of regulatory shortcomings, environmental hazards and enforcement failures were laid bare. Committee members flagged what they described as the exploitation of loopholes within the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), arguing that grey areas in the legislation are being used to circumvent proper authorisation and oversight of chrome wash plant operations.
The committee has now instructed the department to deliver a detailed clause-by-clause breakdown of the relevant regulations and to propose concrete remedies, including possible amendments to Section 24G of NEMA or the drafting of entirely new regulatory provisions. Members pointed to devastating environmental consequences stemming from illegal wash plants, including contamination of water sources, unlawful discharge into river systems, air pollution, degradation of land and hazardous excavation sites that endanger nearby communities and strain municipal infrastructure.
Inspections reveal widespread non-compliance
Departmental figures revealed that roughly 70 chrome wash plants were inspected during the 2025/26 financial year. Of those, 30 were found to be operating without the necessary environmental authorisation. Seven criminal cases have been lodged with the South African Police Service, and a number of pre-compliance notices have been served on operators. While some operators have committed to pursuing rectification applications under Section 24G, the committee raised frustration over delayed fine payments, protracted appeals processes and the glacial pace of enforcement action overall.
A severe lack of departmental capacity was also highlighted, with members noting that just three compliance inspectors are currently stationed across the entire Bojanala District — a workforce wholly inadequate for monitoring the rapidly expanding mining and wash plant activity in the area. Compounding the problem is poor coordination among the various enforcement agencies responsible for tackling illegal operations, including the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, Home Affairs, the Department of Water and Sanitation, local municipalities, traditional authorities and other regulatory bodies. The committee stated that this fragmented approach to enforcement is directly enabling illegal operators to continue unchecked.
Members also raised allegations that a significant number of wash plant operations are being run by undocumented foreign nationals, and called for stepped-up joint operations involving Home Affairs and the Department of Labour to tackle both illegal mining and labour law violations simultaneously. Additional problems flagged during the engagement included lengthy delays in Environmental Impact Assessment application processes, substandard submissions by environmental consultants, widespread non-compliance with licence conditions, and troubling allegations of corruption and bribery within licensing and inspection procedures.
"Communities are suffering environmental damage, water pollution, and unsafe mining activities, while the province is not benefiting economically from these operations. We are particularly concerned about regulatory gaps, lack of enforcement capacity and poor coordination between institutions."
Committee Chairperson Mpho Khunou described the state of affairs as "extremely concerning" and warned that the committee would maintain pressure for tougher regulations, bolstered enforcement capacity, a thorough audit of all mining activities province-wide and vastly improved cooperation between government departments involved in the fight against illegal mining.
The committee has demanded comprehensive information from the department detailing all fines levied, operators implicated, compliance notices issued and firm deadlines for ensuring rogue operations are either brought into line or permanently shut down. It has further called for a full-scale audit of all mining and chrome wash plant activities across the province, the creation of a centralised database tracking approved mining rights and environmental authorisations, and the rollout of a coordinated joint enforcement programme bringing together all relevant government institutions.
South Africans in the North West face direct consequences from unchecked illegal mining and chrome wash plants, including contaminated water supplies, polluted air, and degraded land that threaten public health and livelihoods. Local businesses reliant on clean water and stable infrastructure could face rising costs and operational disruptions. Whether proposed regulatory reforms and enforcement measures gain traction will depend on addressing severe capacity shortages and improving coordination among fragmented government agencies tasked with oversight.
