Limpopo sand buyers, sellers demand License reform amid arrests

A group of truck owners, drivers and brick manufacturers from the Vhembe district, in Limpopo, is calling on the Mineral Resources Department to relax the requirements for acquiring mining licenses.

The group that marched to the department’s offices in Polokwane yesterday to hand over a memorandum accused the department of orchestrating the arrests of sand miners.

The concerned group also wants the department to allow municipalities to issue mining permits.

The chairperson of the group Daniel Mulaudzi says, “Last year, they came into our places and started to arrest us, impounding our trucks and telling us that we are doing illegal mining. So the problem is that we are not miners we are the seller, we buy and sell. So, what they want us to do is to apply for a permit and that permit is very expensive. Remember, there is R2 800 for the application, R50 000 for rehabilitation and then there is another, maybe close to R80 000 for the consultant, which is expensive. There are people making mud bricks, where are they going to get that kind of amount to apply for that permit?”

Vhembe District | Drivers, artisans protest over mining licenses