ISD AcademyInstitute for Social Dialogue
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What this course is about

The Mining Charter is one of the most quoted and least understood documents in South African mining. This course explains where the Charter came from, what the 2018 Charter covers, what the High Court decided in 2021, and what that means for communities, workers and companies today. It presents each stakeholder's perspective fairly and takes no side.

Who it is for

Community members, ward committee members, traditional council representatives, local business owners, mineworkers and union representatives, municipal officials and company staff who hear the Charter mentioned in meetings and want to know what it actually says and what it can and cannot require.

What you will be able to do

  1. Explain why the Mining Charter exists and how it has changed since the first charter.
  2. Name the seven elements of the 2018 Mining Charter.
  3. Explain what the High Court decided on 21 September 2021 and which provisions it set aside.
  4. Distinguish what still binds a mining company today from what is policy, and ask well-founded questions about empowerment commitments.

Preview: the first two minutes

Module 1 · Introduction · 2 min

Residents of all ages fill a community hall on an evening, with people standing along the back wall.

Animated scene (fictional). At a packed community meeting in Pula, a young entrepreneur stands up: "The Charter says the mine must give us 30%!" An older council member replies: "That was set aside by the court." A mineworker asks: "So what does the Charter say now?" Nobody in the hall is sure. The narrator asks: by the end of this course, could you answer him?

Modules

  1. Module 1 · 18 min

    What the Mining Charter is and why it exists

    Explain why the Mining Charter exists and how it has changed since the first charter.

  2. Module 2 · 18 min

    What the 2018 Charter covers

    Name the seven elements of the 2018 Mining Charter.

  3. Module 3 · 18 min

    The 2021 High Court judgment: policy, not law

    Explain what the High Court decided on 21 September 2021 and which provisions it set aside.

  4. Module 4 · 18 min

    What it means for communities today

    Distinguish what still binds a mining company today from what is policy, and ask well-founded questions about empowerment commitments.

Go deeper

Optional, outside the 72 minutes.

Sources

Understanding the Mining Charter | ISD Academy