Govt to reclaim concessions for communities to boost gold revenue

The National Coordinator for the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme, Mawusi Ama Mawunyefia, has revealed that the government is rolling out a bold policy aimed at increasing gold production and maximising national revenue by requiring large-scale mining firms to cede portions of their concessions to local communities.

According to her, the initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to promote responsible, inclusive and environmentally sustainable mining practices, while ensuring that host communities directly benefit from the country’s mineral wealth.

Speaking at the Mining Indaba Conference in Cape Town, Mawunyefia explained that the policy seeks to create structured opportunities for smaller, community-based mining operators within a regulated framework.

“In areas where we have large-scale mining companies, what we are asking them to do is to shed off portions of their concessions for us to allocate to local communities to undertake mining activities within the framework the government has provided,” she stated.

She added that in regions where large-scale operators are absent, the government will support local miners through shared processing facilities, as well as investments in geological investigations and exploration. This, she said, will ensure that community miners have access to verified mineral deposits and can operate responsibly and sustainably.

“Where we do not necessarily have large-scale mining companies, we are able to provide shared processing facilities and invest in geological investigations and exploration. That allows them to mine responsibly and sustainably. That is essentially the core of the programme the government has introduced,” she noted.

Mawunyefia stressed that the programme is backed by a robust legal and regulatory framework, designed to eliminate illegal mining activities while formalising and professionalising community-based operations. She disclosed that the initiative has received Cabinet approval and is being implemented in collaboration with key regulatory bodies, including the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority, and the Water Resources Commission.

The policy is expected to deepen local participation in the mining value chain, create jobs, build technical capacity, and improve environmental compliance within the small-scale mining sector.

The government believes the approach will not only increase gold output but also enhance transparency, strengthen oversight, and reduce tensions between mining firms and host communities.