CER’s expert report and website highlights social impacts of mine blasting
4 June 2025 at 12:15 pm
The Centre for Environmental Rights has launched a new expert report and website detailing the social impacts of opencast mine blasting on communities.
In 2024, the CER commissioned Dr Gwendolyn Wellmann, an independent sociologist with 30 years’ experience in community development, to conduct a social impact assessment on the impacts of mine blasting. Dr Wellmann conducted extensive interviews with stakeholders and community groups affected by the blasting operations of the Ikwezi coal mine which operates near the town of Newcastle in KwaZulu Natal.
While the study was conducted in one region, we have found that the findings in the expert report apply to communities across South Africa affected by opencast mine blasting.
Dr Wellmann found that mine blasting significantly impacted communities surrounding the mine. Her expert report details the psychosocial, cultural, economic and productivity impacts. It found that women, children, elderly, sick and other vulnerable and marginalised groups within the community suffered disproportionate impacts as a result of mine blasting. The report contains a multitude of quotes from community members interviewed during the study which illustrate the impacts identified.
“When they blast, the classroom shakes terribly. The children cry, especially those who are younger, they get very scared. When I hear the siren from the mine, I know they will blast soon, then I take the children outside to rather stand outside away from the classroom because I am afraid that the building will collapse on the children because it shakes terribly.” [Crèche teacher, Mbabane Cash Farm, 16 February 2024]
Dr Wellmann also made several recommendations in order to mitigate the social impacts of mine blasting.
Danjelle Midgley, attorney in the CER’s Activist Support and Training Programme says “It is shocking to read the testimonies of mothers, teachers, nurses, farmers, elderly people, traditional leaders and other community groups who were asked about the impact of mine blasting on their lives during the impact assessment. Dr Wellmann’s report lays bare how the Constitutional rights of marginalised communities are violated by the mine as a result of blasting operations. Mine blasting deeply affects the health and wellbeing of neighbouring communities. This expert report is an important tool to amplify community experiences, ensure better regulation, implementation and enforcement of mine blasting laws.”
Following the commissioning of the expert study, and after years of communities complaining to the Department of Mineral Resources about the impacts of mine blasting on their lives, the Chief Inspector of Mines published South Africa’s first mine blasting standards. These new standards have been in force from 1 November 2024, and mines were given three months to prepare for their implementation.
During February, the CER’s Activist Support and Training programme together with Sukumani Environmental Justice NPO and Dr Wellmann, launched the new expert report and dedicated mine blasting website.
Sukumani is a community-based organisation based in the coal mining-affected areas of Dannhauser and Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal which organises and empowers communities to make informed decisions through workshops and information-sharing processes, and advocates for the respect of environmental rights and the protection of environmental activists facing threats and intimidation.
At the launch event, the CER facilitated training on the new blasting standards to enhance the capacity of community members to call on mines to implement the new blasting standards and for authorities to enforce compliance. For instance the standards provide that all mines which conduct blasting operations must prepare a Code of Practice (or COP) document which sets out processes for protecting affected communities, complaint mechanisms and blasting awareness campaigns. The Code of Practice must be easily available to anyone affected by the mine’s blasting operations.
Check out the CER’s dedicated mine blasting website for more info on the new mine blasting standards. The website showcases Dr Wellmann’s expert report illustrating the devastating social impacts of blasting on communities and highlighting her recommendations. Practical advice on the new blasting standards is also available in an easily accessible form.
Thoko Nkosi, Chairperson of Sukumani Environmental Justice organisation welcomed the report saying “It is good to see communities’ lived experiences reflected in this report. It gives a voice to our complaints which have not been heard. The report and mine blasting training session have strengthened Sukumani’s work. Now that we know how the new blasting standards work, we can engage the mine and ask relevant questions about the blasting and its impacts on our lives.”
Nkosi also said that the report would be an important resource in trying to engage with Ikwezi Mine. “We must make sure that Ikwezi mine complies with the new blasting standards. As an organisation, we are asking the mine to develop the blasting Code of Practice together with the communities whose lives are affected by their blasting. We need to be a consulted. We are looking forward to participating with and engaging with the blasting committee. We are planning to take this report to do workshops in other communities that are affected by blasting, and where new coal mines have been proposed – so that they can prepare.”
Thoko encouraged others communities dealing with mine blasting saying “Let’s keep on doing what we do to hold mining companies accountable. Keep pushing until our voices are heard. Even if they can’t hear us today, tomorrow our voices will be louder.”
Dr Wellmann’s expert report on the social impacts of mine blasting is available on the CER Website.