Morapi, T, Madikizela, S & Coutts, B 2026, 'Integrating community participation in mine rehabilitation in the West Rand, South Africa', in AB Fourie, G Boggs, J Heyes & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2026: Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-7, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2615_20
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2615_20_Morapi/)
Abstract: South Africa has a long legacy of abandoned gold mines where operations ended without proper closure or rehabilitation. Many of these sites contain tailings or residue dams that often attract illegal mining and pose environmental and health risks. Technological advances now enable these tailings to be reclaimed or repurposed as secondary orebodies, allowing reworking of old deposits and freeing substantial land for sustainable rehabilitation, such is the case in the West Rand, Johannesburg area in Gauteng Province. The West Rand has a long and complex history of gold mining dating back to the 1880s. Over time mining activities, coupled with changes in ownership and gaps in regulatory oversight, have left a legacy of environmental challenges. These include varying degrees of land and wetland contamination, soil erosion, abandoned infrastructure and widespread infestations of invasive alien plants. One mining company has sought to transform this legacy into an opportunity by actively involving local communities in the rehabilitation and shaping the future land use.
The process began by identifying areas within the mining right for rehabilitation during operations, determining the required interventions, and assessing community skillsets to inform targeted upskilling beneficial for the mine and the community. Initiatives have included training in invasive species management (mechanical and chemical management), supporting the registration of small businesses in vegetation management, and enabling access to timber resources, thereby contributing to employment opportunities while meeting rehabilitation objectives. Annual rehabilitation targets are set and, where feasible, allocated to local community contractors. Although this approach navigates regulatory, financial, and health and safety standards, it demonstrates that meaningful community participation in concurrent rehabilitation is both achievable and valuable. This paper outlines the approach undertaken and demonstrates how community participation can be successfully integrated into concurrent mine rehabilitation efforts to support both environmental restoration and socio-economic developments.