University of Cape Town (UCT) PhD student, Louie van Schalkwyk, has spent the last three years investigating the zoning policy procedures of three municipalities –Umhlathuze, in KwaZulu-Natal; Sol Plaatje, in the Northern Cape; and the City of Cape Town, in the Western Cape – to determine whether their policies and procedures are suitable for the kinds of mining activities that take place in their jurisdictions. Van Schalkwyk’s topic developed and changed substantially over time, but was inspired by a 2012 Constitutional Court ruling which stated that a mining right holder could not start mining activities unless and until the land was appropriately zoned by the municipality in whose jurisdiction it is located.
