TITLE:
The Impact of Regulations and Laws Governing on Solid Minerals Exploitation in Three African Countries: A Literature Review
AUTHORS:
Tamburo Michael Renzi
KEYWORDS:
Mining Code, Environmental Protection, Environmental Regulatory Framework, Community Investment, Management Decisions, Sustainable Mining, DRC, South Sudan, Rwanda
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.9 No.2,
March
5,
2021
ABSTRACT: Mining
companies from around the world play an important role in socio-economic
development in Africa. These mining companies generate revenues for the
governments, which create physical and social infrastructure and provide other
essential services. However, this objective is not achieved in some cases due
to many factors, including inadequate regulations and lack of enforcement of
the mining codes. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the
environmental laws, rules, and mining codes that govern the exploitation of minerals like diamond and copper in
Africa, as well as their relevance for the management of
the mining companies by focusing on South Sudan, Rwanda, and Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). Although Rwanda is not as mineral-rich as DRC and
South Sudan, they all have a comprehensive mining policy that could make them a
significant mineral processing and trading hub in the region. From this
evaluation, it is evident that the government and mining companies have a major
role to play towards environmental protection and local communities. The
government of the day must enact policies and laws and ensure that they are
effectively enforced. The mining companies must also adhere to the set
environmental rules and efficiently use the available resources. In a nutshell,
government, mining companies, and the local community must work together to
attain a high-quality environment. This study
aims to provide in-depth insights into various environmental laws and
regulations and mining codes that exist in DRC, Rwanda, and South Sudan
intended to protect the environment from the adverse effects of mining by
examining whether mining laws have been relevant to mining operators.