Abstract
During Apartheid, the mining industry operated without restraint and compromised the ecology, the health of mining workers, and local communities. The lines between the mining industry and government was often unclear with the former influencing government decisions to favour uncontrolled operations. Although new post-Apartheid regulations were designed to control negative mining impacts, the mining industry and the state still have a close relationship. Limited academic research has empirically examined how mining corporations influence democracy in South Africa. Through empirical investigation focusing on Dullstroom, Mpumalanga and St. Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, this paper examines how mining corporations, directly and indirectly, influence democratic processes at the macro state and micro community levels. At the macro level, this includes examining mining companies influencing government decision-making and enforcement to hold mines accountable for non-compliance. At the micro level, the paper examines mining companies influencing democratic processes at the local community level to get mining developments approved. Findings reveal that political connections between the mining industry and government, including collusion between mining corporations and local community leadership, have influenced mining approval and development, whilst excluding local communities from decision-making processes. Industrial manipulation has also influenced government in holding corporations accountable. This has contributed towards not fully addressing citizen concerns over mining development. Democracy in post-Apartheid South Africa, especially for mining development is, therefore, understood in the narrow sense and exposures the realities of the ruling party embracing capitalism. Despite challenges, civil society may provide the avenue for upholding democratic values to counter mining domination and for an enabling political settlement environment.
Highlights
During Apartheid, the mining industry was virtually immune to effective environmental regulation and operated freely and without restriction (Hallowes and Munnik 2006; Leonard 2017a)
An anonymous Dullstroom biodiversity interviewee A (Interview, 4 October 2013) from a public interest organisation, indicated that many of the mining companies were politically connected with important government officials and this ensured that these mining companies could dictate on their own terms how they operated
Whereas during Apartheid, the mining industry operated without restraint and had undue influence over government decision-making to create an enabling operational environment to maximise profits at the expense of people and the environment, this practise is still present in post-Apartheid
Summary
During Apartheid, the mining industry was virtually immune to effective environmental regulation and operated freely and without restriction (Hallowes and Munnik 2006; Leonard 2017a). The separation of powers between mining corporate conglomerates and the government was often indistinct (Van Wyk et al 2009). Apartheid gave industries licences to undertake enormous environmental destruction, which involved harming the ecology, the well-being of employees and surrounding communities (Fig 2005). The end of Apartheid brought some confidence that fresh legislation would force industry to act within the required regulation and constrain the pollution, which had generated severe environmental and health problems (Leonard 2009). The National Waste Management Strategy (1998) aims to reduce the generation and environmental impact of all forms of waste and to ensure the health of the people
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