Coal and Energy in South Africa

Аннотация

This book forms part of a larger research project at the University of the Free State (UFS) that is investigating the consequences of mining for local communities and mining towns. We initiated the project in 2015 as a multi-disciplinary project involving a wide range of academic departments at the UFS and building partnerships with local and international universities. This book on Emalahleni follows an edited collection (Mining and Community in South Africa: From Small Town to Iron Town) on mining in the small town of Postmasburg (2018). A third book, on Rustenburg, is in progress. The project has also received funding to concentrate on the consequences of mine closure in South Africa. This project on mine closure will take place from 2021 to 2023. In each of these mining towns, our approach has been to carry out a set of 20 to 30 key informant interviews (government, mines and non-governmental organisations), an extensive household survey of approximately 1,000 households and a document analysis of the planning documents at the local level. These pieces of evidence provided a platform for developing the three books.