A dynamic shift in the ownership, management and development of the country’s mineral heritage took place after the inauguration of the new political dispensation in South Africa in 1994. This resulted in the enactment of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (28/2002) (MPRDA) in 2002. In accordance with the MPRDA the country’s mineral and petroleum resources are the common heritage of the people of South Africa and the State acts as the custodian of these resources for the benefit of all people. In this capacity, the State may determine and levy a fee or consideration payable in respect of these resources. The Minerals and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act (28/2008) (MPRRA) was enacted on 24 November 2008 to impose a mineral royalty on the extraction of South Africa’s mineral resources to compensate the nation for the depletion of its mineral wealth. This legislation is likely to have a significant impact on the South African mining industry. The aim of this study was to review the development of this legislation to gain an understanding of the issues considered when it was developed and to identify certain aspects of the MPRRA that may require further research in order to be improved in future. The analysis consists of a qualitative comparison of the draft versions of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Bill (MPRRB) and related commentary. The study recommends that legislators reconsider the level of royalties to be levied as well as the mechanism contained in the MPRRA to promote downstream beneficiation to ensure optimal benefits from extracting the nation’s mineral resources. Further research of these aspects could improve the South African mineral royalty regime in future. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Taxation / unrestricted

Thesis (M. Sc.(Geography)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Global production of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) is dominated by South Africa due to its large economic resources base in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC). PGMs are used in a wide range of high technology applications worldwide including medicinal, industrial and commercial purposes, and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating jobs for many. In an area where mining activities dominate, there are likely to be problems that need effective environmental management approaches, which can be facilitated through legislations. Marula Platinum Mine (MPM) is located in Limpopo province BIC which has the second largest number of mining productivity in South Africa. Environmental legislations have been put in place by the South African government in order to avoid or minimise the footprints caused by PGM mining. This study looked at environmental compliance with solid waste management practices by Marula Platinum Mine (MPM) as guided by Mineral and Petroleum and Resource Development Act (MPRDA) and National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) as well as the environmental impacts of MPM in the surrounding communities. Both primary (questionnaires, field observations and key informant interviews) and secondary (NEMA, MPRDA, journals, reports, pamphlets, internet and books) data was used to address the objectives of the study. Descriptive method and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 were used for the analysis of data. The key research results revealed that MPM was compliant with 65% and 21% partially compliant with solid waste management practices. Only 14% of information on solid waste management practices could not be accessed because MPM is still operational. MPM had also had negative footprints on the surrounding villages such as dust generation and cracks on walls and floors on houses of community members, strikes and increase in the usage of substance abuse. Recommendations of the study are that MPM should address challenges that hinder environmental compliance so as to be 100% compliant with MPRDA and NEMA regulations. MPM should also provide other mitigation measures for blasting of explosives to reduce dust generation and problems of cracks on houses of surrounding village members.