MACUA is calling for an effective government response to illegal mining [SOUND]

# The Mining Affected Communities United in Action says organised illegal mining, violence, trafficking and the illicit trade in minerals require an effective State response. Cabinet has decided to advance the General Mining Laws Amendment Bill, which government says is intended to strengthen the legislative response to illicit mining. MACUA’s Christopher Rutledge says it is concerning that government continues to treat illegal mining primarily as a policing problem, when it is also a symptom of South Africa’s profoundly unequal mineral economy: