Coal Mining and Dispossession in South Africa
By Dineo Skosana
An ethnographic account details the experiences and resistance of displaced communities affected by the expansion of coal mining operations in post-apartheid South Africa. It also offers a critical analysis of the legal and policy frameworks that enable their exploitation.
Dispossession remains a present-day reality and crisis
No Last Place to Rest: Coal Mining and Dispossession in South Africa explores the ongoing struggles faced by families in the Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. These families have had their lives upended by the relentless expansion of coal mining operations.
These regions carry the burden of fulfilling the nation’s energy needs and boosting the country’s economy. As a result, they witness the harsh realities of dispossession daily. These experiences extend far beyond the mere loss of property.
Dineo Skosana presents a compelling argument that dispossession remains a present-day reality and crisis. She challenges the narrow perspective that equates land loss only with material and economic terms. Skosana also considers the impact of grave relocations – a common occurrence in these mining-dominated locales. She highlights the profound spiritual anguish and dehumanisation that communities endure as mining companies excavate their lands.
This book offers a rich ethnographic account of the experiences, struggles and resistance of the affected communities. In addition, it presents a critical analysis of the legal and policy frameworks that facilitate their exploitation.
In relation to the ‘land question’ in South Africa, No Last Place to Rest presents deep insights. These are valuable for communities, activists, and government sectors acting in support of social justice and redress.
About the author
Dineo Skosana is a researcher at Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP). She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of the Witwatersrand.
- Publisher | Wits University Press |
- ISBN | 9781776149292 |
- Recommended Price | R330.00 |
- Subject | Current Affairs |
For more information | Corina van der Spoel | +27 (0)11 717 8705/8700 | mail me |
