Agricultural industry organisation AgriSA has called on government to withdraw the draft Mineral Resources Development Amendment Bill and subject it to a full socioeconomic-impact assessment (SEIA), as well as introduce binding landowner consent for mining on zoned agricultural land.

The organisation expresses serious concern over the draft Bill, which was published for public comment by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources in May.

The Bill's current form poses significant risks to South Africa’s agricultural sector, food security and rural sustainability, AgriSA argues.

It states that the Bill purports to streamline regulation and promote inclusive economic development; however, it introduces provisions that would allow artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations to access private agricultural land without any guidance as to how meaningful consultation should take place or on compensation requirements.

This undermines constitutionally protected property rights and threatens the viability of farming operations, particularly in high-potential agricultural zones, AgriSA says.

The absence of cumulative environmental-impact assessments and enforceable rehabilitation guarantees further exposes landowners to long-term degradation without remedy, it adds.

Further, the Bill was not subjected to an SEIA, as required by Cabinet policy.

“Had such an assessment been conducted, the risks to food production, water quality and rural livelihoods would have been evident,” AgriSA states.

The organisation calls on government to align mining legislation with the Preservation and Development of Agricultural Land Act.

It also calls for the establishment of a single-window permitting system with integrated land-use screening, and the enforcement of cumulative environmental- and water-impact assessments for all mining activities.

South Africa’s future depends on a balanced approach to resource development that respects the rights of farmers, protects the environment and ensures long-term food security.

AgriSA remains committed to ensuring the interests of farmers and calls on all stakeholders to impose on government the importance of a properly regulated, transparent and sustainable mining industry that can properly coexist with agriculture.

Meanwhile, the broader relationship between mining and agriculture remains fraught. Fragmented permitting regimes, opaque consultation processes, and weak enforcement mechanisms continue to erode trust and compromise land-use planning.

Mining activities often disrupt irrigation infrastructure, contaminate water sources, and leave behind unrehabilitated land, thereby jeopardising both current and future agricultural productivity, it says.