SIYABONGA SITHOLE
ANC NEC member and former minister of water and sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane has called for big mine houses to account for the continued mining happening at most of the country's biggest disused mines. This comes as illegal mining continues days after the police arrested more than 120 illegal miners on the West Rand this past week.
More than 61 of these miners are set to appear at the Krugersdorp Magistrates Court, where Mokonyane and other leaders and community members are protesting outside court ahead of the court appearance of the illegal miners involved in the rape of eight women last month.
"We must take this battle to the mining houses. The department of minerals must come out and tell us who are the landlords of these properties? Why did they leave these mines unattended to? Having left these mines unattended to, what are the penalties? If there are still minerals, there are a number of South Africans living in Mogale City who are unemployed. Expropriate this land and make it available for public good to fight poverty, unemployment and inequality by ensuring that artisanal mining takes place, " she said.
Mokonyane, who is also from the West Rand, added that the country's criminal justice system must account for the illegal activities involving minors and under-age children who are part of the illegal mining industry.
"How do Lesotho, Zimbabwean and Mozambicans end up here? It means our borders are porous. But most importantly, who brings them here? We can arrest as many illegal immigrants and zama zamas, but if we are not going to deal with the bug guns, we will not be able to solve the problem, "Mokonyane said.
The former minister also said it is not only the ruling party that is responsible for enacting laws, but other parties in parliament must also account for the laws being passed as they contribute to the state of lawlessness in the country.
"We need everybody to scrutinise these laws and the allocation of resources. We must make sure that the system does not make victims of GBV to be secondary victims of the justice system," she said.
With the country celebrating Women's Month amid cases of rape and GBV, Mokonyane urged men to take a stand against violence and abuse of women.
"Men must take a stand against GBV. They must say not under our name shall the name of men be demonised because there are good men and women in our communities," she added.