Legal Resources Centre: [submission no 33] Bill 15 and the community right to negotiate about mining...

Legal Resources Centre: [submission no 33]Bill 15 and the community right to negotiate about mining on their land: “no mining on communal land without community consent”

CONTENTS

slide memoLack of consultation in the legislative process by the department three

5 good reasons why consent is the appropriate standard 2; 9-12 4 - 17

Discrimination continues 3 - 5 6

Consent wording 6 20 reparation principles 8 24

Artisanal mining 13 22

Legal Resources Centre 2013 09 16 1

Consent - background5 good reasons why consent is the appropriate standard for local communities on communal land (NOT OTHER OWNERS)

1913 land act and discrimination The Constitution demands equality and authorises reparation Customary law is based on consent for any disposal Treaty law and African Charter: the right to development implies the right to

negotiate and decide Land Reform Policy Statements July 2013 rely on consent and IPILRA

Other comments before the committee that supports consent as the appropriate standard

The industry – webbers and glencore / oxfam consent index Labour – numsa supports ILO 169 and meaningful consultation Communities – macua supports FPIC International best practise – wbg and equator principles require effective and

meaningful participation


Henk Smith

slide 14 and page 17 of memo

The right to negotiate refused – 1813 to 2004

• Historically white landowners had a right to negotiate, through a first option to mine… they had say over access to their land.

• Black communities could not own their land and the SADT negotiated deals for itself. “Past mining legislation and the general history of racial discrimination in this country prevented black people from acquiring access to mineral resources. Dispossession of land aggravated the situation.”

• Homeland governments negotiated deals including rent and royalties… now payable to provincial governments and held in D accounts.


Henk Smith

quote from Bengwenyama

The right to negotiate still refused- 2004 to 2013

There are two streams of potential participation:

Access to land – section 5(4) or 5A notice before entering; section 54 about compensation for loss and damagesRegulation of mining: mitigation of environmental and social impacts – section 10; 16; 22;

10(2)(b) the regional manager may refer the objection to the applicant to consult with the person objecting and submit the result of the consultation

16(4) to consult in the prescribed manner with the landowner, lawful occupier and an affected party and include the result of the consultation in the relevant environmental reports

Section 22 as proposed to be amended provides for social and labour plans with community consultation… but under very limited headings such as housing, local employment projects etc alligned with the municipal IDPs

To effect transformation for communities they must have say over access to land.


Henk Smith

but the section 54 process must be triggered by the regional manager

The right to negotiate still refused - 2013


Consent : wordingOur proposal : section 5A no person may mine without (d) on communal land, the prior written consent in terms of customary law if applicable and the Interim Protection of Informal Land Rights Act 1996 of the directly affected community

2008 section 5A [since June 2013]No person may mine without (c) giving the landowner or lawful occupier of the land in question at least 21 days written notice.

2002 section 5(4)(c) No person may mine without… notifying and consulting with the land owner or lawful occupier of the land in question.

IPILRA 1996no person may be deprived of any informal right to land without his or her consent.


Consent wording

IPILRA 1996•no person may be deprived of any informal right to land without his or her consent.•Where land is held on a communal basis, a person may …be deprived of such land or right in land in accordance with the custom and usage of that community.•the custom and usage of a community shall be deemed to include the principle that a decision to dispose of any such right may only be taken by a majority of the holders of such rights…


Reparation heads• Surface use, loss of livelihoods and dislocation of

communities and structures… to be put in or arrive at a position [or better] than they would have had it not been for the human rights violation

• Ownership of land• Dimunition in the value of land as a result of mineral

exploitation• The SADT trust moneys and D account moneysFor present purposes: The BBSEE component No new mining on communal land without

community consent in terms of IPILRA


Constitutional basis• Recognition of customary law – s39(3), 30, 31,

211(3) and 9(2) – not Chapter 12. Recognised as an independent source of law [the Constitution recognises customary law primarily, and as a result customary institutions. Traditional leaders are not representatives of customary law]

• Necessitated by the Constitution’s commitment to equality and transformation.

• Recognition of living customary law (not common law or codified versions).

• But is it being given effect to?


Equality and customary tenure

• PEPUDA Preamble calls for “the advancement, by special legal and other measures, of historically disadvantaged individuals, communities and social groups who were dispossessed of their land and resources, deprive of their human dignity and who continue to endure the consequences”.

• We have restitution of land, marine resources (recent MLRA amendment)….but what about mining?


The significance of customary law• Ownership – despite no statutory recognition, communities are the

owners of communal land (acknowledged by Minister Nkwinti in State Lease and Disposal Policy and IPILRA) and owned resources prior to these being expropriated by series of disriminatory legislation (see Alexkor) – so they should have been entitled to convert rights in terms of the MPRDA HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YEARS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CUSTOMARY OWNERSHIP.

• Source of free, prior and informed consent

READ WITH EQUALITY: the imperative to promote; to transform; to achieve substantive equality.

For marginalised rural communities this translates into REPARATION and CONSENT.


International law recognition of customary rights, reparation and

consent• African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights• ACHPR Principles and Guidelines (2011) recognises

customary tenure as property rights• Endorois decision (2010)• ACHPR Resolution on the Extractive Industries (2012)

calls on States to recognises FPIC of local communities• ILO 169: FPIC for local communities – effective in Latin

America because it was domesticated in law.


Illegal mining

• Illegal mining costs the mining industry (and the government through lost taxes) about ZAR 5.6 billion annually

• Additional security costs for mining houses

• Adds to state burden with regard to organised crime as it is linked to human trafficking, smuggling, money laundering, bribery and corruption

State Land Lease and Disposal Policy Chapter 3: commercial developments

Legal Resources Centre: [submission no 33] Bill 15 and the community right to negotiate about mining...

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