# The Benchmarks Foundation says proposed changes to South Africa’s mining laws may fail to target the masterminds behind illegal mining syndicates. The General Mining Laws Amendment Bill proposes making illicit mining and related activities criminal offences, with fines of up to 100-million-rand and prison terms of up to 30 years. Foundation researcher David van Wyk says authorities should focus on identifying those financing and benefiting from syndicates, rather than targeting only miners operating underground.
Benchmarks Foundation warns mining bill may miss illegal mining kingpins