By REGINALD KANYANE
31 March 2026 – The North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism has raised serious concerns regarding the increasing number of illegal mining activities and unauthorised chrome wash plants operating across the province, particularly in the Bojanala and Madibeng areas.
The concerns emerged during an engagement between the Committee and the Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism (DEDECT), where several regulatory, environmental and enforcement challenges were highlighted.
The Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on (DEDECT), Mpho Khunou said they noted with concern that the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) regulations are allegedly being abused due to regulatory gaps and grey areas relating to the authorisation and regulation of chrome wash plants. Khunou said the committee has requested the department to take it through the regulations clause by clause and outline recommendations to address the regulatory gaps, including whether amendments to Section 24G of NEMA or new regulations are required.
“The committee further raised concerns about the environmental impact of illegal wash plants, including water pollution, illegal discharge into rivers, air pollution, land degradation and unsafe excavations, which negatively affect communities and municipal infrastructure.
“Members also expressed concern that illegal mining activities continue despite existing legislation, and that enforcement actions rarely lead to prosecutions and convictions,” he said.
Khunou said according to the department, approximately 70 chrome wash plants have been inspected in the 2025/26 financial year, of which about 30 were found to be operating without environmental authorisation. He further said the department has opened seven criminal cases with SAPS and issued several pre-compliance notices to operators, some of whom have committed to apply for rectification in terms of Section 24G of NEMA.
“However, the committee raised concern over delays in payment of fines, appeals processes, and the slow pace of enforcement. The committee also raised serious concerns about the department’s limited capacity, noting that there are currently only three compliance inspectors in the Bojanala District, which is insufficient to monitor the increasing number of mining and wash plant operations in the area.
“Another major concern raised was the lack of coordination between government institutions responsible for enforcement, including the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, South African Police Service (SAPS), Home Affairs, Water and Sanitation, municipalities, Traditional Authorities and other regulatory bodies,” added Khunou.
He said the committee noted that fragmented enforcement and poor coordination contribute to the continued operation of illegal mining activities and unauthorised wash plants. Khunou said some concerns were also highlighted that many wash plant operations are allegedly run by foreign nationals operating illegally in the country, and called for intensified joint operations involving Home Affairs and the Department of Labour to address illegal operators and labour compliance issues.
“Furthermore, the committee raised concerns about delays in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) application processes, poor quality submissions by consultants, non-compliance with licence conditions and allegations of corruption and bribery in licensing and inspection processes.
“The committee requested the department to provide full details on fines issued, operators involved, compliance notices issued, and timelines for ensuring that illegal operations are either compliant or shut down,” he said.
Khunou said the situation relating to illegal mining and unauthorised wash plants in the North West is extremely concerning. He said communities are suffering environmental damage, water pollution and unsafe mining activities, while the province is not benefiting economically from these operations.
“We are particularly concerned about regulatory gaps, lack of enforcement capacity and poor coordination between institutions. The Committee will continue to push for stronger regulations, improved enforcement, a full audit of mining activities in the province and better coordination among all government departments involved,” said Khunou.
The Guardian 