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The Minerals Council South Africa says water is a serious concern for the mining industry. Picture: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
The Minerals Council South Africa says water is a serious concern for the mining industry. Picture: ANTONIO MUCHAVE

With work under way to tackle the underperformance of the SA rail network and the effects of load-shedding, the Minerals Council SA has also identified water as a serious concern for the mining industry.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town on Monday, council CEO Mzila Mthenjane said water was a growing crisis for the industry, the economy and society.

“During 2024, several mining operations were disrupted by constrained water supplies. This is no longer an emerging crisis, but it has manifested in different regions to varying degrees and it demands urgent intervention at the highest level in a partnership between government and the private sector,” Mthanjane said.

The industry has helped supply water to communities, mines and other businesses through partnerships with the Lebalelo water project and the Vaal Gamagara Water Supply Scheme. The combined cost of these two initiatives is about R37bn. “The presence of mining as an end-user will enable the financing, assisting government to raise the required capital for construction,” he said.

The council represents 90% of SA's mining production. Mthenjane said mining was the cornerstone of the economy as it accounted for 6% of GDP and directly employed 475,000 people.

“We estimate our industry’s multiplier effect to be 10 other employment opportunities for every employee in the mining industry,” he said.

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