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58
MINING FOR CLOSURE
chardt, 2002).
98
Here it is important to note the
underlying factors for failures – none are directly
related to insufficient economic returns. Rather, it
is institutional failures that dominate.
Box 6
Bricks from tailings
Case example
Market opportunity
Capital expenditure
Longevity
Infrastructure
Employment
Market
Additional benefit
Fate
Bricks from tailings
Tailings and waste rock in some instances make a very suitable substitute to river sand as an
input to cementatious building aggregate.
Minimal
Elands Brick operated at Elandsrand Gold Mine for five years.
Established on a redundant mine tennis court.
42 people.
Supplied regional low-cost housing projects and mines at competitive prices.
Saved mine the cost of relocation of tailings from ad-hoc clean-up operations and pipebursts.
Failed due to personal conflict between entrepreneurial partners.
Box 7
School from mine buildings
Case example
Market opportunity
Capital expenditure
Longevity
Infrastructure
Employment
Market
Additional benefit
Fate
Redundant Hostel/School Conversion
Redundant Hostel – expensive to convert to residential or apartment usage. Design ideal for
boarding school – secure facility and accommodation. If replicated at 4 earmarked sites closure
savings could have exceeded 18 million South African Rand (ZAR).
ZAR 3 million
Not pursued for political reasons
Redundant worker hostel
(Projected) 59 mostly mineworker spouses, 72 temporary construction jobs.
Teaching & Boarding Facilities for 900 students. Addressing a critical social need – affordable
quality education at rates competitive to public schools.
Avoidance of Closure cost in excess of ZAR 4 million. Transfer of asset at zero cost a key factor
in commercial viability.
Not pursued due to union objections to entrepreneur not being a Previously Disadvantaged Indi-
vidual (PDI) Company (a PDI company is a company that is black owned, or black people are the
majority shareholders of that company, i.e. they own 51% or more of shares of the company)
98. This is available online on the Mining, Minerals and Sustain-
able Development site hosted by the IIIED at:
http://www.iied.
org/mmsd/rrep/s_afr.html