SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PLATINUM MINING ON

Mining is a major economic activity in several countries withsignificant contributions to exports and infrastructuredevelopment. Mining is generally viewed as providing aneconomic stimulus in the areas/regions where it occurs. In someareas, the local economy depends almost exclusively on mining.However, the abundance of resources has not always resulted ina prosperous populace. Some view resource abundance as a“blessing” and others as a “curse”. The natural curse thesis holdsthat resource abundance is the cause of lesser economic growth(Buitelaar, 2001). It is also an industry that is often heldresponsible for causing environmental damage and socialdisruption. This situation is not unique to South Africa, as thisscenario is increasingly manifesting itself in other countries wheremining takes place.The questions thus are as follows: What are the impacts ofmining, particularly on local communities? To what extent are theeconomic benefits arising from mining impacting positively and/oradversely on the socio-economic development of the localcommunities in the area? Is growth translating into humandevelopment?This study found that the establishment of Anglo Platinum PPrusthas had mixed impacts on locals and hence contradictory viewsare held about whether the presence of the mine in Mogalakwenais proving to be a “blessing” or a “curse”.