The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo will call for an urgent joint sitting of the Portfolio Committees on LEDET, Agriculture, Community Safety, and COGHSTA to investigate the systemic failures enabling the rampant spread of illegal sand mining across the province, and to ensure a firm commitment by the government to end this anarchy.
This is the crux of a media statement issued on Monday by Jacques Smalle, member of the provincial legislature and the DA's provincial spokesperson for Limpopo Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET).
"We will further request that representatives of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) be in attendance," said Smalle.
According to Smalle, illegal sand mining in Limpopo has proliferated at an alarming rate, marked by increasing brazenness and a growing sense of impunity. "All major river systems in the province are now affected. Farmers, both commercial and subsistence, rural communities reliant on riverine ecosystems for water and food security, and environmentalists have all expressed deep concern, compounded by the continuing inaction and lack of responsiveness from government authorities," said Smalle.
He added that many operations functioned without permits, rehabilitation plans, or oversight, leaving behind extensive ecological destruction. Others exploit loopholes in the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) by subdividing large tracts of land into smaller parcels under five hectares to evade environmental scrutiny. "Numerous farmers and affected communities have also reported being misled, citing a lack of proper notification, missing or inconspicuous public notices, and deliberate obfuscation by applicants," said Smalle.
According to Smalle, these unlawful activities are causing irreversible damage to Limpopo's river systems. "The removal of sand leads to erosion, groundwater depletion and riverbank collapse, while the loss of sand, which acts as a natural sponge, accelerates water loss and long-term depletion. The result is a direct threat to water security, agriculture, and the natural environment," he said. Communities in regions such as Vhembe, he added, have reported diminishing water supplies and rising conflict where traditional leaders or officials turn a blind eye to these activities.
The recent case involving Maria Munyai, a Musina municipal employee and businesswoman linked to sand-mining operations along the Limpopo River, is a case in point. Both the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror reported on this matter in their 26 September edition. "Despite a recent High Court judgment, sand mining continued unlawfully on the farm Vrouwensbrom under companies reportedly tied to Munyai and her family, allegedly acting as fronts to avoid enforcement. The Court sharply criticised both the DMRE and SAPS for their failure to enforce the law. More than 130 criminal complaints were reportedly filed by aggrieved parties at the local police station — yet many were referred back and forth between SAPS and DMRE, without decisive action," said Smalle.
Beyond an investigation to uncover the systemic failures driving this crisis, Smalle said the DA demanded immediate action from the DMRE, LEDET, and SAPS. "Illegal operations must be shut down, equipment seized, and offenders prosecuted without delay. All relevant authorities — national, provincial and local — must act decisively. The future of Limpopo's rivers, its economy, and its people depend on it," said Smalle.