SA has an ugly relationship with mining in economic and historical terms. The recent collapse of the tailings dam at a mine in Jagersfontein, Free State, is the latest of a series of events that have occurred in which mining profits were clearly being pursued at all costs – despite the destruction of the environment, neighbouring communities, and indeed people’s lives.

International mining conglomerates such as De Beers, Anglo American and Lonmin have made billions of rand in profits from digging out South African minerals for decades. These mineral profits were subsidised by every government that has led SA for the past 250 years – with total disregard for people’s needs and their well-being...