From gold in the Far West Rand to platinum in Bapong and titanium in Pondoland, the mining industry has left an indelible mark on South Africa. In recent years, South Africa has seen both an increased, community-based resistance to expansion within parts of the industry as well as a growing governmental interest in researching the impacts of minerals extraction on affected communities. As a more nuanced national awareness comes to the sector, a logical next step in this progression is to question whether each aspect of the so-called Minerals-Energy Complex is unique or if commonalities exist.  By reordering and comparing individual photographs captured from different mining sectors, the exhibit connects the themes that permeate South African mining, such as the impact of race on power in the business, the influence of international markets on local communities, and the direct, physical impacts of the extractive industry. By focusing on shared experiences, the aim of this exhibit is to better understand which variables influence mining and how affected communities interact with them.

14 March 2017 16:00

First Floor Seminar Room, John Moffat Building, University of the Witwatersrand

RSVP: thammy.jezile@wits.ac.za

Bio

Mark Olalde is a journalist who investigates mine abandonment in South Africa’s failed system of mine closure. He is based in Johannesburg at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Wits City Institute and is affiliated with the Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry. He publishes print stories and photography as an associate of the Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism and places additional work across Independent Media’s platforms, among other publications. His investigations are financially supported by the Fund for Environmental Journalism, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, and the Fund for Investigative Journalism

The Faces of the City seminar series is a partnership between the SARChI in Spatial Analysis and City Planning, the Gauteng City Region Observatory, the Centre for Urbanism and the Built Environment Studies, and the Wits City Institute.