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IOL News
15-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Macua report uncovers massive fraud in South African mining sector
Mining Affected United in Action (Macua) investigation revealed looting in the mining industry. Image: File / IOL An investigation report by the Mining Affected United in Action (Macua) revealed that over R284 million allocated for Social and Labour Plan (SLP) delivery in the mining areas went missing. Macua said this was based on audits across eleven mining communities. The organisation said the money was either undocumented, misrepresented or effectively lost to fraud and non-delivery. The report is called 'Crumbs Capture'- a morally bankrupt system in which even the limited funds earmarked for development are misappropriated through inflated tenders, ghost projects, falsified delivery reports, and elite capture - while communities languish in deepening poverty. The report was launched on Thursday (today). Macua said the report, using participatory research, physical site verifications and testimonies from directly affected communities - is a culmination of three-year-long audits of 11 SLPs of mining companies in North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State and Northern Cape. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Macua said the companies from the eleven mining communities collectively reported over R376.25 million in SLP commitments but only R92.25 million was confirmed as delivered through infrastructure or community services. This leaves a whopping R284m unaccounted for, read the report. Macua said this was not merely a gap in implementation, but the looting of legally mandated development obligations under the guise of corporate social investment. But this is only part of the picture. Collectively, according to the report, the audited companies generated an estimated R218.8 billion in turnover over the five-year SLP period, yielding estimated profits of R72.23bn. Yet from these vast earnings, only R92.25m, which is 0.13% of the total estimated profit, was delivered in tangible, verifiable community benefit. 'This is not underperformance. It is developmental theft - a system of Crumbs Capture, in which even the legally required entitlements of the poor are systematically looted, while mining companies and politically connected actors continue to profit from public deception,' the report stated. SLP is a document that mining companies must submit to the Department of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) as part of their application for mining rights. The SLP outlines the company's commitments to the well-being of communities and workers affected by the mine. These include human resources development programmes, mine community development plans, housing and living conditions plans, employment equity plans, and processes to save jobs and manage downscaling and closure of operations. Mining activist Daisy Tshabangu told the attendees that despite this, there are no still developments in her area in Phola, Mpumalanga. She said many young people are unemployed while some communities are experiencing a shortage of water. She added that the living conditions were dire and the mines were not listening to their plights while DMPR did nothing about the situation. Asked to comment, the department spokesperson Johannes Makobane, on Tuesday said they were working on the responses but could not respond by deadline. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Minerals and Petroleum Resources, Mikateko Mahlaule, said the issue of SLPs is sitting firmly on the committee's agenda, as per the recommendation of the legacy report of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy from the 6th Parliament. 'Although without an official report before it, the committee is aware of the allegations regarding the short-cutting of budgets and over-reporting on unverifiable SLP projects by mining companies. The committee views the report by Macua in a serious light, and, therefore, will find time in the current financial year to ask Macua and the department to brief the committee on this matter,' he said. Minerals Council South Africa said it has asked Macua for a copy of the report and a meeting to discuss it. In the statement released on June 2024, the council said the mining industry spent an estimated R4.9bn on social investment and development programmes during 2023 to improve the quality of life in mine-host communities. It said this expenditure was an addition to the R135bn that the sector contributed to the fiscus through corporate taxes, pay-as-you-earn (PAYE), and royalties, which benefitted the country and its citizens. The council said the estimate was derived from a research study of its member companies which represent 59% of total mining industry employment. Their annual report, according to the Minerals Council South Africa, indicated that these companies in platinum group metals, gold, coal, diamonds and iron ore, had spent a total of R2.9bn on social investment programmes. 'The Mineral Council has inferred, based on the proportion of the industry the companies represent, that the industry's total expenditure on social investment programmes would have amounted to approximately R4.9bn. The programmes include a broad variety of community development projects contained in, inter alia, the SLPs that are required in respect of each mining right.' However, Macua described the expenditure as a sector-wide misrepresentation. The organisation said when this pattern is extrapolated nationally, it points to a staggering R25bn in potential developmental theft across South Africa's mining sector, revealing a coordinated system of fraud, elite capture and institutional neglect on an industrial scale. 'If mining companies can steal legally mandated development funds without consequence, while the State looks away and criminalises resistance, then the constitutional project has failed the people it was meant to uplift. Over R25bn in looted development is not an accounting error, it is a crime.' The organisation said that DMPR, as the national regulator charged with ensuring that SLP obligations are fulfilled in mining-affected communities, was at the centre of this failure. It said despite receiving multiple detailed audit submissions over several years, the department refused to conduct follow-up investigations and take corrective action. 'Meanwhile, Parliament refuses to act. The DMPR remains a conduit for falsified self-reporting. Law enforcement agencies prosecute the poor but shield the powerful. This is not neglect—it is a coordinated system of elite capture and state-sanctioned impunity.'
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Macua says R284 million in social development funds missing from South African mining sites
In a statement on Tuesday, Macua - a prominent social and community advocacy organisation - argued that if this pattern was extrapolated nationwide, it pointed to an astonishing R25 billion in potential theft from communities dependent on mining activities. Image: Supplied Banele Ginidza The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) has announced that a conservative estimate of at least R284 million in Social and Labour Plan (SLP) funds remained unaccounted for across 11 mining sites. This alarming trend, termed 'Crumbs Capture,' suggests a systematic appropriation of developmental funds intended to uplift mining-affected communities. In a statement on Tuesday, Macua - a prominent social and community advocacy organisation - argued that if this pattern was extrapolated nationwide, it pointed to an astonishing R25 billion in potential theft from communities dependent on mining activities. 'Crumbs Capture' describes a morally bankrupt ecosystem where even the limited resources allocated for development are siphoned off through inflated tenders, ghost projects, falsified delivery reports and elite capture, all while communities languish in deepening poverty. The findings will be formally presented in a report scheduled for launch this Thursday, representing the third volume of Macua's series of community-led investigations conducted since 2018. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ This report culminates from extensive audits of SLPs across various provinces, including North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free State, and Northern Cape, revealing the stark realities experienced by communities in Phola, Mononono, Robakala, Ikemeleng, Meloding, and Magojaneng, among others. "Rather than benefiting communities, these resources are routinely iInflated through tenders, reported as complete without delivery, hijacked by local elites and used to greenwash exploitation under the guise of corporate social responsibility," it said. "In essence, 'Crumbs Capture' refers to the looting of the little that was meant to redress historical injustice—a morally bankrupt system where even the crumbs are stolen, deepening poverty and inequality in the name of development." The audits illuminate a disheartening disparity: while the 11 audited mining companies reported over R376.25m in SLP commitments, only R92.25m was confirmed to have been delivered in terms of tangible infrastructure or services. This discrepancy leaves a staggering R284m unaccounted for — either undocumented, misrepresented, or lost to fraudulent practices. Macua said the 11 companies involved reportedly generated a collective turnover of R218.8bn over the SLP period, yielding profits estimated at R72.23bn. Such figures starkly highlight the grotesque imbalance between corporate profits and community neglect. Macua said while mining firms thrive, the communities meant to benefit from legally mandated development are left grappling with crumbling infrastructure and unrealised promises. "The audit findings do not reflect isolated administrative errors—they reveal a systemic model of developmental dispossession, where accountability mechanisms are absent, public institutions remain silent, and mining companies operate with near-total impunity," Macua said. "The R284 million unaccounted for is not just a number—it represents broken clinics, unsafe roads, undelivered skills programmes, and lives diminished by a system designed to extract and abandon." The report also critiques the Just Transition Illusion, a narrative woven into the broader context of the Just Energy Transition (JET). While government and mining firms tout JET as a pathway to inclusive growth and climate resilience, the report depicts a bleaker reality: JET is being employed as a facade to conceal systemic fraud, elite collusion, and broken commitments, with SLPs that should redistribute mining wealth instead acting as instruments of theft. The community audits revealed shocking completion rates across mining areas. In Mononono, for example, an abysmal 10% completion rate was tallied, with a mere 5% of promised community benefits delivered. Similarly, Rabokala achieved just 7.1% completion and 9.6% value, while MNS reported no project delivery whatsoever. These findings collectively paint a portrait of a systematic pattern of exclusion, misreporting, and financial opacity. The Chancellor House case study in Magojaneng serves as a striking example of these discrepancies. Here, the United Manganese of Kalahari (UMK)—partially owned by Chancellor House, the investment arm of the African National Congress—failed to account for over R172m in SLP obligations. Official reports boasted extensive infrastructure development, yet investigations revealed a stark contrast: little evidence of completed projects, and community members reported exclusion from essential planning processes. Visit:
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Millions unaccounted for as ex-mine bosses face court over fraud
Millions meant for mine rehabilitation allegedly embezzled as former executives and a top official face court. Ronica Ragavan, Pushpaveni Govender and Joel Raphela appearing before the Randburg Magistrate's Court after they were arrested on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied Several former mining bosses, their mining firm and a senior former civil servant are expected to appear in High Court in Johannesburg today for reportedly embezzling funds meant for mining rehabilitation. Those expected in court include former deputy director-general of the then department of mineral and resources Joel Raphela, Ronica Ragan, Pushpaveni Govender, Optimum Coal Mine, Koornfontein Mines and Tegeta Exploration and Resources. During the trial that started on Monday, the group pleaded not guilty to 11 charges that include Contravention of Regulation 4 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, Contravention of Regulation 7 of the National Environmental Act, money laundering, forgery, uttering and perjury. Ex-mine bosses pleaded no guilty to 11 charges Investigating Directorate Against Corruption spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the court appearance emanated from the alleged fraud linked to the rehabilitation of Koornfontein mine. Ragavan was then director and Govender a trustee. ALSO READ: Ex-govt official arrested over 'looting' of Gupta mine rehabilitation funds gets R20,000 bail 'In December 2015, Oakbay Investments entered into a sale of shares and claims agreement with Glencore for the acquisition of shares in Optimum and Koornfontein mine. 'The agreement was for Tegeta to take control of the Optimum Mine Rehabilitation Trust and the Koornfontein Rehabilitation Trust. 'On 8 April, 2016, the sale agreements were deemed to have been fulfilled, resulting in the department giving consent in terms of the regulations, for the disposal of 100% control of Optimum and Koornfontein to Tegeta. Millions reportedly embezzled 'The Coal Supply Agreement was supposed to continue until December 2018,' said Mamothame. Millions were reportedly embezzled, he said. ALSO READ: Gupta associates arrested over looting of Optimum, Koornfontein funds released on bail Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macau) spokesperson Magnificent Mndebele said the trial was a reflection of what Macua's investigation had unearthed. Their investigation, which spans 11 audited mining communities across six provinces showed how the R284 million in legally obligated Social and Labour Plan funds remained unaccounted for. R284 million unaccounted for According to auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke's report released in 2023, there were 6 100 abandoned mines and 1 170 mine openings countrywide. Maluleke urged government to speed up rehabilitation of the abandoned mines, as they posed health, safety and environmental hazards for nearby communities.
