van Tonder, DM & Coetzee, H 2009, 'South Africa’s challenges pertaining to mine closure — the problem of abandoned and derelict mines in the Mpumalanga coalfields', in AB Fourie & M Tibbett (eds), Mine Closure 2009: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Mine Closure, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 593-604, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/908_47
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/908_47_van Tonder/)
Abstract: The long history of mining in South Africa has left a legacy of around six thousand abandoned mines 
scattered around the entire country. Many of these mines are situated in the Mpumalanga coalfields. Mining 
commenced at the turn of the previous century, initially with little environmental degradation associated 
with the mainly board and pillar mining method of the time. However, subsidence occurred due to pillars or 
strata floor collapsing, sometimes decades after mining ceased. Subsidence causes damage to surface 
infrastructure and interferes with the drainage of surface water and may also impact aquifers. Secondary 
effects included spontaneous combustion of abandoned coal mines being accelerated both above and below 
ground. Burning discard coal dumps present further potential for spontaneous combustion and air pollution 
from fugitive emissions of particulate matter and gases including methane (CH4), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and 
oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Acid water has been linked to the death of fish, crocodiles, frogs and cattle. Open 
cut coal mining also has the potential to irreversibly pollute the ‘pristine’ pans and lakes by disrupting their 
hydrology and ecology. This study focuses on the impacts and consequences of abandoned coal mines in the 
Mpumalanga coalfields and on prioritising them in terms of risks they pose to human health and the 
environment. The prioritisation of these mines for rehabilitation as a follow up on the strategy for the 
management of derelict and ownerless mines of South Africa is also discussed.