Track: Sustainability in Supply Chain, Enterprise Operations and Strategies including Food Supply Chain

Abstract

In developing countries as well as in emerging economy countries, mining activities for minerals endowed countries contribute in a bigger junk into their GDP. Unfortunately, towns developed around mines have been found extinguished as soon as mining activities cease. As the mines closed, towns around them or grown around mining activity turn into ghost towns. In South Africa Welkom, far west of Johannesburg and many others previously evolved around gold mining have seen their economic values and attractiveness decreased. This paper discusses the current situation of mining activities in Kuruman, Kathu and Hotazel towns of John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality (JTGDM) [Free State, South Africa]. Not limited to questionnaires, interviews, surveys and analysis of documents, multiple methods in the collection and analysis of data were used. This paper elevates the relationship between the mining corporations and other affected stakeholders in those towns and their importance thereof. It is revealed that the current situation in JTGDM towns will have a negative outlook beyond mining operations. Thus, the paper ends with a discussion of strategies to avoid JTGDM towns to turn into ghost towns after the mining of manganese ore and iron ore in those areas will cease; hence strategies for sustainability for post-mining operations is the core content of the paper.