What this course is about
Many South African communities live near mine tailings facilities. This course explains what tailings are, how facilities can fail, which rules apply, what rights people have, and how to be ready for an emergency. It teaches people what to ask and whom to ask; it never judges whether any facility is safe.
Who it is for
Residents near tailings facilities, ward committees, school and crèche staff, community safety volunteers, mine employees and contractors, and municipal disaster management officials.
What you will be able to do
- Explain in plain language what tailings are, how facilities are built and how they can fail.
- Describe the rules that apply to tailings facilities and who is accountable.
- Use rights to engagement, grievance and information about a tailings facility.
- Prepare a household for a tailings emergency and know the community's rights in recovery.
Preview: the first two minutes
Module 1 · Introduction · 2 min
Calm illustrated scene (fictional, Thabana Ridge): children see a grey "mountain" beside their school. One asks: "What is inside it?" No disaster imagery.
Modules
Module 1 · 18 min
What tailings are and how they fail
Explain what tailings are, how facilities are built and how they can fail.
Module 2 · 18 min
The rules and who is accountable
Describe the rules that apply to tailings facilities and who is accountable.
Module 3 · 18 min
Rights, voice and the right to know
Use rights to engagement, grievance and information about a tailings facility.
Module 4 · 18 min
Ready for an emergency, and recovery
Prepare a household for a tailings emergency and know the community's rights in recovery.
Go deeper
- Mining School course 4, Understanding NEMA, Module 5, for dust, water and legacy sites.
- ICMM Tailings Management Good Practice Guide (2nd edition, 2025).
- Emergency audio cards in the cohort language.
Sources
- https://damsafety.org/reference/warnings-unheeded-tale-1994-merriespruit-tailings-dam-disaster
- https://xyzhtc.issmge.org/uploads/contributions/1994-Merriespruit-Disaster-Paper-Fourieetal.01.pdf
- https://allafrica.com/stories/202512020496.html
- https://globaltailingsreview.org/global-industry-standard/
- https://www.icmm.com/our-principles/gistm
- https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/news/2025/gtmi-launch
- https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/news/2025/updated-guidance-closure-of-tailings-storage-facilities
- https://s24.q4cdn.com/382246808/files/doc_downloads/2025/08/Newmont-GISTM-ICMM-2025.pdf
- https://bowmanslaw.com/insights/south-africa-jagersfontein-tragedy-highlights-complicated-regulatory-regime-for-tailings-dams/
- https://www.acts.co.za/national-environmental-management-waste-act-2008/r632_2__purpose_of_the_regulat.php
- https://www.acts.co.za/promotion-of-access-to-information/70__mandatory_disclosure_in_public_interest.php
- https://www.acts.co.za/disaster-management-act-2002/43_establishment.php
- https://www.ifc.org/content/dam/ifc/doc/mgrt/ifc-performance-standards.pdf