JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has revealed that 96 mines currently active in South Africa are operating without water use licences.

“My department is aware of the current number of mines that are operating without water use licences and, [of these 96 operations], 40 water use licence applications have been received by the department.

“[This means that] 56 mines have not applied for water use authorisation,” she noted in a written Parliamentary reply to the Economic Freedom Fighters earlier this month.

She added that, while the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) had instituted various administrative, criminal and civil enforcement measures to deal with the noncompliant mines, information pertaining thereto would not be made available.

“This would prejudice the outcome of the administrative action and criminal prosecution by the DWS, as it is, according to the National Prosecution Authority, sub judice,” she commented.

Mokonyane’s revelation followed the 2014 release of the South African Human Rights Commission Report on the Right to Access Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation in South Africa, which recommended that mines operating without water use licences be instructed to suspend operations immediately.