African Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mining Industry

The SARChI Chair for Mineral Law in Africa was established in 2016 as part of the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) established by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The research focus of the Chair centres on mineral law and policy development in South Africa and across the African continent. As part of this project, mine health and safety has been a key concern, forming part of the Chair's teaching, as well as its popular science engagement. The Chair is thus well-equipped to contribute to science engagement around the Covid-19 pandemic, and in perhaps one of the most critical industries in respect of the pandemic. The histories of mining and disease in South Africa are inextricably linked, thus being impossible to discuss one without touching on the other. From the industry's infancy on the Kimberley diamond fields, which saw an outbreak of smallpox from 1883-84, to the contemporary struggle with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and silicosis,3 the industry has also been at the centre of the nation's story of disease. The nature of the migrant labour system, so crucial to the industry, has been a key part of this story, serving as a means of spread of disease from the mines to the communities from which workers originate. This link is clearly demonstrated in respect of the outbreak of Covid-19 in South Africa, with claims being made that the mining industry has become the epicentre of the disease in the country. Expected Outputs We want to disseminate our research to the broader public in an understandable way. This project allows us to create more opportunities for broader public advocacy and policy engagement. It is important to the Chair that its research output it produces with taxpayer money not only be available to a limited number of academics, but the public at large through effective and accessible science engagement. The Chair has a strong track record in respect of science engagement which is made available to the broader public rather than simply academics with access to paid databases. Blog posts on the website often exceed 100 views, with one piece published in 2016 in particular exceeding 14 000 views as of March 2020. These blog posts are actively marketed by the Chair's Twitter account. Furthermore, the Chair has published a number of editions of its own MLiA Occasional Papers series and contributed to the occasional paper series of the South African Institute of International Affairs. In addition, members of the Chair have contributed op-eds to major media outlets in the past