2001

South African Tribal Communities Oppose New Mining Law

Sept. 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.