Parliament begins oversight visit in Gqeberha to tackle illegal sand mining and community trust challenges

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources today commenced its oversight visits in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, as part of its constitutional mandate to oversee executive action and ensure accountability across the minerals and energy portfolio.

The multi-provincial oversight programme will extend to KwaZulu-Natal this week and will assess a range of critical issues, including illegal sand mining, environmental liabilities, the state’s financial exposure following the acquisition of the SAPREF refinery, governance challenges linked to community mining trusts, and oversight of Transnet’s Island View Precinct in Durban.

Committee Chairperson Mr Mikateko Mahlaule underscored the importance of parliamentary oversight, stating: “The committee is empowered by the Constitution to oversee executive action and monitor the implementation of government programmes. Oversight is a critical function of Parliament to ensure accountability, including tracking public expenditure and evaluating government interventions within the portfolio.”

Focus on environmental damage and infrastructure accountability

In Gqeberha, the committee is assessing the escalating impact of illegal sand mining within the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. The visit follows a committee resolution adopted on 25 November 2025, which identified illegal sand mining as a growing concern in both the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

The committee has expressed serious concern about the uncontrolled extraction of natural sand from rivers, estuaries and coastal areas, warning that the practice has resulted in severe environmental degradation and increased social, environmental, and operational risks.

“The visit is necessary in light of the significant, long-term, and potentially irreversible damage to riverbeds and estuarine ecosystems. This is particularly concerning given the increasing frequency of above-average rainfall and flooding. The committee will assess policy gaps and the measures implemented by various government departments to regulate the sector and protect the environment,” Mahlaule said.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the committee will visit the SAPREF refinery following its acquisition by the Central Energy Fund in May 2024. The oversight visit is expected to focus on the transfer of environmental liabilities, the financial exposure to the state and the long-term viability of the refinery.

“The committee intends to assess the condition of the SAPREF infrastructure, understand the scale and nature of inherited liabilities, and determine the implications for the state and the broader energy security landscape,” Mahlaule added.

The committee will also conduct an oversight visit to Transnet’s Island View Precinct in Durban, following a directive by the Minister of Transport to extend the terminal’s 25-year lease and to monitor ongoing infrastructure upgrades at the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) terminal.

In Richards Bay, members will engage with Rio Tinto and local communities intended to benefit from community mining trusts. The visit follows allegations of misuse of trust funds and subsequent court actions.

The committee will receive updates on legal proceedings and on interventions by the Department of Mineral Resources aimed at strengthening governance and accountability within the trusts.

Reiterating the importance of community beneficiation, Mahlaule stated: “As required by the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) of 2002, communities must benefit meaningfully from community mining trusts. Governance structures must meet the highest standards, and the trusts must contribute to sustainable development within host communities.

“It is therefore important for the committee to assess the reported challenges and the measures being implemented to resolve them, in the interest of communities where Richards Bay Minerals operates.”