Reconnoitering sand mining impacts in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

Abstract

dissertation presents an account of the impacts of sand mining activities in the province of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The theoretical framework and methodology of the dissertation are based on the dialectical critical realist research model. Concepts from the business social responsibility discourse are combined with the objectives in the current Eastern Cape Provincial Government Development Plan to provide the context for analyzing the impacts of the sand mining activities. The study has four objectives: first, an account of the impacts of the sand mining activities, second, the opinions of the research participants on the positive and negative impacts of the activities, third, the opinions of the research participants on what they perceive to be the problems associated with the activities and finally, the recommendations for addressing the problems. These four objectives were selected after identifying the shortfalls in the existing publications on the sand mining activities of the Eastern Cape province. In addition, the objectives were selected to enable the researcher to make recommendations that can help link the sand mining activities to the long-term sustainable development of the province. One contribution that this study makes in terms of social theory and methodology concerns the way in which the researcher interacted with the local communities in all 33 municipalities of the province to identify some 15 groups of research participants who provided the material upon which the study findings and recommendations are based. The recommendations put particular emphasis on the critical roles which the provincial government officials need to play to enable the sand mining businesses make their maximum positive contribution to the development of the Eastern Cape. The overall theme that stands out in the study concerns the major contribution which the dialectical critical realist research paradigm adopted in the study makes in the understanding of the issues currently at stake in the sand mining activities. Evidence has been provided in the study to show that the MELD framework which underpins the dialectical critical realist paradigm is suitable for the understanding and transformation of the processes currently at play in the sand mining activities.

Le dizeteyishini icacisa ifuthe lezenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti kwiphondo leMpuma Koloni, eMzantsi Afrika. Isakhelo sethiyori nemethodoloji yale dizeteyishini zisekelwe kwimodeli yophando eyidialectical critical realism. Imeko yokuhlaziywa kwefuthe lezenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti inikwe ngokwemiba yeengxoxo ezichaphazela ushishino oluncedisana noluntu zidityaniswe neenjongo ezingqalileyo zesiCwangciso soPhuhliso loRhulumente wePhondo leMpuma Koloni. Olu phando luneenjongo ezingqalileyo ezine: eyokuqala, kukukhangela ifuthe lezenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti, eyesibini, zizimvo zabathathinxaxheba bophando malunga nefuthe elihle nelibi lokukhiwa kwesanti, eyesithathu, zizimvo zabathathinxaxheba bophando malunga noko bakuthatha njengeengxaki ezinxulumene nezi zenzo, ize eyokugqibela, ibe ziziphakamiso zokusingatha ezi ngxaki. Okufunyaniswe kuphando kubonisa abanini bamashishini okukhiwa kwesanti, abasebenzi babo, abaxumi kunye nabanye abachaphazelekayo kwizenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti, njengabavela la mashishini njengoyena ndoqo wohlumo loqoqosho lwephondo. Kwelinye icala kukwakho nabo babonisa inkxalabo malunga nento abayibona njengefuthe elibi lezi zenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti. Inxaxheba eza nolu phando ngokwethiyori yezentlalo nophuhliso imalunga nendlela umphandi athe wanxulumana ngayo noluntu lwendawo, ezama ukuchonga amaqela ali15 abathathinxaxheba bophando abathe banika ulwazi ekuthe kwasekelwa phezu kwalo oko kufunyaniswe kolu phando, ngokunjalo neziphakamiso zalo. Ezi ziphakamiso zigxininisa ngokukodwa kwindima ephambili ekufuneka idlalwe ngamagosa orhulumente wephondo ukuvumela amashishini okukhiwa kwesanti ukuba abe negalelo elihle kangangoko kuphuhliso lweMpuma Koloni.

Owona mxholo mkhulu uthe wagqama kolu phando umalunga negalelo elikhulu elize nepharadayim yophando olulandela idialectical critical realism, ebisetyenziswa kolu phando, ekuqondeni imiba ekujanyelwene nayo kwizenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti. Olu phando luze nobungqina obubonisa: ukuba le pharadayim sisakhelo esifanelekileyo sokucacisa ifuthe lezenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti; nokuba ingayimodeli efanelekileyo yokugqamisa ubudlelwane phakathi kwemiba yezemvelo nezentlalo kule nkqubo yophuhliso; ukuba sisixhobo sohlalutyo sokubonisa indima yamagosa karhulumente ekuphembeleleni ifuthe labakhi besanti kuqoqosho lweMpuma koloni; ukuba yithiyori yokucacisa ukubalulela kobudlelwane ngokwamagunya kunye nemidla yoluntu ekuqondeni ifuthe lezenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti; ukuba sisakhelo esibalulekileyo sokugqamisa ukubalulela kwemigaqonkqubo nezicwangciso zophuhliso zikarhulumente kwinkqubo yophuhliso; yaye, ngaphezu kwako konke, ukuba iyimodeli esekelwe kwicritical theory, nenokusetyenziswa ekwaziseni uluntu malunga nezi zenzo nasekuqulunqeni iinkqubo zezidanga zemfundo eziza kubeka izenzo zokukhiwa kwesanti njengondoqo wohlumo lwephondo leMpuma Koloni.