Evaluating the post-mining land uses of former mine sites for sustainable purposes in South Africa

This paper uses a case study of an abandoned magnesite mine in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to find ways of identifying post-mining land used from the current uses of the abandoned mine sites or features. The approach used involved carrying out a field characterization of the mine site and documentation of the current uses of the features of the abandoned mine site. The technique used to identify the internal and external factors of the land uses involved analyzing their Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique was used for further ranking of the land uses to identify the most post-mining or rehabilitation land uses for the different parts of the mine. Lastly, the earthwork requirement in reshaping the terrain of the mine to support the selected land uses was estimated from the 3D-terrain models generated from height data collected using a Real-Time Kinematic Geographical Positioning System. The results of the study identified land use that needs further surface development as the most appropriate for the abandoned Nyala Mine. These land uses demonstrated the potential of addressing the hazards of the mine with the clear promise of improving the socio-economic status of the host communities.