Bench Marks Foundation

Lerato Mbele speaks to David van Wyk, Mining Anlayst & Researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation about the impact of mining on the enviroment. 

Noluthando Mthonti-Mlambo speaks to Adrian Saville, a Professor in Economics, Finance & Strategy at GIBS and David Wan Wyk, the Lead Researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation about mining and resource beneficiation in Africa.

We look at the Critical Raw Materials Act proposed by the European Union and hear from the Bench Marks Foundation as to why they think Africans and other countries with rich mineral deposits should pay more attention to it. The foundation is calling on global leaders to be open and frank in terms of what this Act entails and its objectives thereof. According to the European Union, the Critical Raw Materials Act will simply grant them the necessary tools to gain access to a secure supply of raw materials. For more on this, we are joined by…..

GUEST: Hassen Lorgat, Manager of Advocacy and Communications at the Bench Marks Foundation

Noluthando Mthonti Mlambo speaks to David Van Wyk, Lead Researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation about the diamond economy in Botswana.

Focus: As the Mining Indaba continues in Cape Town till tomorrow (Thursday), with the different mining houses discussing their sector, we thought to speak to the Alternative Mining Indaba. One of the things they are highlighting is how mining activities, which have had negative environmental,

health, social, and economic conditions affect women, girls, and marginalised people in mining-affected communities carry the burden. Oxfam South Africa and Southern Africa say that they believe that the extractives sector should be held accountable for adverse effects of mining, that the sector should not be allowed to operate with impunity, and that communities need strategies to ensure they have meaningful participation in the activities undertaken by mining cooperatives in collaboration with governments in their areas. Let’s get into this as we welcome…..

Guest(Zoom): Nkateko Chauke - Acting Executive Director for Oxfam South Africa and head of programs

Guest: Hassan Lorgat - social justice activist at the Benchmarks Foundation

Guest: Mukupa Nsenduluka - Alternative Mining Indaba - Chairperson and Tax & Natural Resource Governance Lead at the Tax Justice Network Africa

Guest: Hassen Lorgat, Bench Marks Foundation.

Guest: Hassen Lorgat, Bench Marks Foundation.

Africa is joined by David Van Wyk mining analyst and lead researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation to talk about the 2023 Mining Indaba. The Indaba kicks off later this morning .

Francina Nkosi is a member of the Waterberg Women Advocacy Organisation (WWAO ) formed over 10 years ago and has 500 members around Limpopo. They work on climate justice and gender justice, land and other human rights issues.

Thokozile Mntambo is a graduate of the Amandla.mobi Campaigner Fellowship and founder of the Ikhaya labantu, Black Lives Movement. They support the fight for low income black community and advocates for womens rights and the rights of the queer community. She is a digital rights campaigner. Thoko lives in Snake Park Thulare, Soweto.

A discussion on the rapes of 8 women and the “problem” of illegal mining on Radio Islam International.

Unpacking #10YearsOfMarikana with Eric Mokuoa, Bench Marks Foundation.

Our guest this morning is raising his concerns about how the Minister of Police Bheki Cele is deviating the attention from the fact that eight women were raped in the mine dump crime that took place over the weekend. Yesterday (Tuesday), Cele led a large police crew in raiding illegal immigrants at the Krugersdorp mine dump saying that they will be concentrating on all illegal mining operations. Our guest is worried that the entire operations is now shifting from the horrific rape of young women, to chasing after Zama Zamas. To share some of his thoughts on this issue, 

Guest: Hassen Lorgat – Social justice activist and also with the Peoples Media Consortium

South Africa has built a burgeoning national economy on its gold mining trade over the past few decades, but for the “Zama Zamas”, hunting for the precious mineral is a process just as synonymous with peril as profit. To discuss, we are joined by David van Wyk, Bench Marks Foundation Chief Researcher and Zethu Hlatwayo, Spokesperson for National Association of Artisanal Miners

Mining giant, Glencore is on a drive to save face after it was found to have manipulated the market, and engaged in bribery. It now has to pay a fine of up to R23.6 billion. Last week, authorities in the US, Britain and Brazil announced that three of Glencore’s subsidiaries had pleaded guilty to the crimes. While the company’s board maintains that these acts are a thing of the past, it does point to a growing trend of mining companies acting with impunity, but have the chickens finally come to roost?

Guest: David van Wyk, Benchmarks Foundation researcher

Part 2:
– Respondent David Ramohanoe is a social justice activist, passionate about land reform, community development and industrial relations. He is also the Chairperson of Wonderkop Land Claims Committee.
– The Questions and Answers involved questions and discussion from the floor.
The media picked on one comment made by Bishop Jo Seoka, where he called on “President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and that he be arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2012 Marikana Massacre.” This SABC report took the sensational route – to society at large – when they reported that “President Ramaphosa failed to apologise and show remorse for what happened in Marikana. Bishop Seoka also called for the dismissal of cases against the injured and arrested mineworkers.”

Part 1:
– Chairperson / facilitator Eric Mokuoa introduces the speakers and provides commentary;
– Sonwabile Mnwana (Rhodes University),a sociologist and senior researcher focusing on land and politics of resource extraction;
– Asanda Benya (University of Cape Town), a feminist activist working on labour and gender issues in the mining sector;
– Andy Higginbottom (London based Marikana Solidarity Collective), secretary of the City of London Anti-apartheid Group (late 1980s) and still active in support of social movement in Latin America, South Africa; and
– Ngaka Mosiane Senior Researcher (Gauteng City-Region Observatory), focusing on future directions of informal housing research, theory, and methodology.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the switch-off of analogue television broadcasts in South Africa must be delayed to allow for more consultation. The court also found that communications minister’s decision on 28 February 2022 to set 31 March 2022 (later revised to 30 June 2022 by the high court) as the final date for analogue switch-off was unconstitutional and invalid. To react to this is….. 

Guest: Hassan Logart, Spokesperson of the Peoples Media Consortium 

As the digital migration process is already underway to switch off analogue terrestrial television transmitters. Civil Society is uniting to challenge government plans to disconnect the analogue TV signal of over 14 million people. They are arguing that once the digital migration process is in full swing, our country’s communication system will be even further privatised as those that can afford will move over to Multichoice, and they want government to delay the switch-over.

Guest: Hassan Logart, Spokesperson of the Peoples Media Consortium

The turning off of analogue TV in March of this year has been declared unconstitutional. This move points to the fact that estimated that 8.25 million poor South Africans will be left without free-to-air television following the switch-off.

Guest: Hassen Lorgat, People’s Media Consortium

Mind Your Tailings – a conversation between Hassen Lorgat (Bench Marks Foundation) with Jan Morrill, (Earthworks)

On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the launch of the nuGen hydrogen powered truck is a remarkable milestone which will lead to the creation of new industries in South Africa and an economy that is more sustainable. He was speaking at the Mogalakwena PGM mine in Mokopane, Limpopo where the launch was happening and one of the things he said is that communities and mine employees won’t be left out in terms of benefitting. Well, over the years, we’ve seen how mining communities have been complaining that they benefit nothing from mines in their area. How then should we interpret what the president is saying? If you are in a mining area, should you be happy at what the President is saying? T

Guest: Raserola Mashamaite – Chair of the Marikana Youth Development Organisation

Guest: Mathapelo Thobejane – Longtime mining community activist in Limpopo and the Bench Mark’s Foundation’s monitor on the ground (She will be speaking from the Mining Indaba)

Guest: Margaret Molomo Community leader of the Mogalakwena Mining Community

''Mining means turning living things into dead objects to sell for profit." That’s one of the many lines you won’t be hearing at Mining Indaba this year. 

Guest in studio line: BenchMarks Foundation’s David van Wyk.

"Impacts of Mining in Limpopo" from The BenchMarks Podcast 02 by Hassen Lorgat in conversation with Mmathapelo, Moses and Wole.

Interview with Kirsten Youens

“A Teach in on SLAPP suits Part 2”.

A Teach in on SLAPP suits Part 1

Hassen Lorgat in conversation with Bishop Jo Seoka, Remembering Marikana - A Benchmarks Foundation Podcast.

The State of Africa – Latest on Mining charter

"Conversation with Tshepo Mmusi" from Podcast Bulleting 04 by Bench Marks Foundation. Released: 2022.