The Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources has been criticised for its silence about the alleged violation of human rights which resulted in the deaths of more than 80 illegal miners at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine near Stilfontein.

In a letter dated February 14, Civil society organisations Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) and Women Affected by Mining United in Action (Wamua) said it was ‘well-documented that at least 89 artisanal miners perished due to state-enforced starvation and violent repression’.

The organisations said the police, under government instruction, deliberately sealed off access to food, water and medical aid while preventing any lawful exit from the mine shafts.

The organisations said despite the gravity of these events, the committee remained silent, adding that the absence of parliamentary oversight, condemnation, or intervention in response to this atrocity raises serious concerns about the committee’s commitment to its constitutional duty to protect mining-affected communities and hold the executive accountable.

The committee’s spokesperson Justice Molafo had not responded to a request for comment by deadline.

Macua executive director Christopher Rutledge said the portfolio committee cannot continue to ignore its duty, adding that as representatives tasked with overseeing mining regulation and industry governance, the committee is directly responsible for ensuring that mining laws, including the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), serve the people rather than corporate and political interests.

Rutledge called on the committee to immediately exercise its legislative oversight functions and convene an urgent public hearing to hold the department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources accountable for its failures.

He said the committee must demand an official explanation for the department’s inaction in regulating mine closures, ensuring the safety of artisanal miners, and preventing the humanitarian disaster at Stilfontein.

Rutledge also wants the committee to summon the director-general of MPRDA to account for the ‘ongoing failures in regulating abandoned mines’.

He demanded clarity on the long-overdue amendments to the MPRDA.

“It has been over a decade since promises were made to amend the Act to include protections for artisanal miners and mining-affected communities, yet no meaningful legislative progress has been made. The Committee must demand answers from the Minister as to why the amendments have stalled and take decisive action to push for their immediate finalisation and implementation,” said Rutledge.

He said the committee must investigate the role of corporate mining interests in shaping government policy at the expense of human rights.

“The lives lost in Stilfontein cannot be in vain. As representatives of the people, it is your duty to demand answers, ensure accountability, and take legislative action to prevent future mining massacres. The time for passive observation has long passed—we demand immediate parliamentary intervention,” Rutledge said.

Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) announced a national inquiry into the Stilfontein Operation Vala Umgodi.

The inquiry is expected to kick off in May.

This investigation comes after a complaint was lodged at the SAHRC’s North West Provincial Office (NWPO) alleging that for a prolonged period, estimated to be approximately three months, miners were unable to exit the mine shafts and had no access to water, food, or adequate medical assistance.

Cape Times