Environment

Sand mining continues on banks of Limpopo, despite court orders

Sand is South Africa’s most extracted mineral — more than coal or platinum — but unlike those, it is governed by weak permitting regimes.

By Zoutpansberger • 5 October 2025

Sand mining continues on banks of Limpopo, despite court orders

Despite a court order, a municipal employee and her family continue sand mining on a Limpopo farm, exploiting regulatory loopholes. This highlights a broader crisis of illegal sand mining in the region, devastating ecosystems and communities while authorities fail to enforce laws.

By Chris Gilili

Weeks after the Limpopo High Court ordered her to halt operations in one area, other companies linked to businesswoman and Musina municipal employee Maria Munyai continue to mine sand on a farm bordering the Limpopo River.

The farm’s manager, Jacque Turner, says the continued mining is illegal and marks the latest chapter in a years-long dispute with Munyai and her companies, which Turner has reported to the police numerous times and challenged in court ov...