South African Tribal Communities Oppose New Mining Law - Sep.2001
The South African government’s proposed mining law faces strong opposition
from tribal communities throughout the country.
The law, which would allow the government to seize mineral rights from
communities, has been at the center of controversy, most recently attacked by
South Africa’s richest tribe, the Roay Bafokeng nation, which compares it to
forced land appropriates by white minority governments in the 19th Century.
Critics have threatened a constitutional challenge if he bill is passed into
law.
The government, however, says the law aims to eliminate the country’s dial
system of state and private ownership of mineral rights to discourage hoarding
of the rights and encourage small scale mining. v | 
