Sand Mining : Large quantities of sand is removed from river beds, river banks, estuaries and beaches mainly through open pit methods, which require only basic equipment: a bulldozer to clear vegetation and build access roads, while an excavator or front-end loader is used to remove sand deposits and trucks transport the sand.
This process removes stabilising vegetation, causes erosion and reduces the sand budget on beaches along the coast. Large quantities of sand are removed, exceeding the regenerative capacity of many rivers and estuarine ecosystems. Sand mining upsets the natural functioning of coastal systems. The cost of these unsustainable activities is far-reaching, with large economic, social and ecological consequences.
Better enforcement is urgently required to discourage illegal sand mining and to end the extraction of all river and estuarine sand mining. At the same time, more sustainable sources of sand for the fast growing construction industry are needed.
You should report illegal sand mining to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) provides licences for all mining activities and is ultimately responsible for monitoring sand mining activity, as well as enforcing compliance. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) deals with the impact on the river and water use licences. Both mining and water use licences are required for sand mining. The EDTEA Coastal Unit should also be informed.
Who to contact
Complaints regarding any mining issue, whether linked to a watercourse or not, must be submitted to the Complaints Management section in DMRE: NEMAcomplaints@dmr.gov.za