Resources policy and mine closure in South Africa: The case of the Free State Goldfields

•New mineral legislation in South Africa represents a paradigm shift.•New legislation ignores the concept of a post-mining economy.•Local partnership formation is difficult in areas of mine-downscaling.•The outcomes of new legislation are rather disappointing.•Mine downscaling requires a national response.

There is increasing international pressure to ensure that mining development is aligned with local and national development objectives. In South Africa, legislation requires mining companies to produce Social and Labour Plans, which are aimed at addressing local developmental concerns. Against the background of the new mining legislation in South Africa, this paper evaluates attempts to address mine downscaling in the Free State Goldfields over the past two decades. The analysis shows that despite an improved legislative environment, the outcomes in respect of integrated planning are disappointing, owing mainly to a lack of trust and government incapacity to enact the new legislation. It is argued that legislative changes and a national response in respect of mine downscaling are required.