# Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise says there are six thousand-100 derelict and ownerless mines across South Africa. Some of these mines are old and the owners cannot be traced. There are one thousand-170 mine openings nationally and in Gauteng there are 518. Modise was speaking during the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster media briefing on illegal mining interventions in Pretoria. She says the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy will rehabilitate three mines and has closed 40 mine openings per year:
Minister Modise says there are 6100 derelict and ownerless mines in SA [SOUND]