Mining companies in South Africa, including Glencore seem to consider the Marikana massacre allows them to ride roughshod over the rights of miners and farmworkers. South Africa continues to have ‘beautiful laws’ that fail to be implemented in the interests of ordinary people

Although Exxaro has denied that mining the wetland constituted an illegal environmental activity, investigations show that the remained in violation of the requirements of the law and committed a criminal offence

Since opencast coal mining started on this farm ten years ago, the lives of the people have gradually deteriorated. The mine replaced the previous agricultural business that employed them. A villager said that only one person in the village has a full time job