Lessons from Past Failures: What They Teach Us About Safer Mining.

Mining has delivered jobs, revenue, and infrastructure across Africa. But it has also left behind painful lessons from tailings mismanagement. While Africa has avoided some of the catastrophic dam collapses seen elsewhere, communities in Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia know firsthand the risks of unsafe tailings facilities.

Each incident teaches us something vital lessons that must shape the future of mining on the continent.

Ghana: The Cost of Spills on Trust

In Tarkwa and Obuasi, spills from tailings facilities have polluted streams and farmlands, leaving communities anxious about their health and livelihoods. The lesson is clear:

• Prevention matters more than cleanup. Once rivers are contaminated, no amount of remediation fully restores community trust.

South Africa: The Legacy of Abandoned Tailings

Decades of gold mining left behind thousands of tons of waste in the Witwatersrand. Today, acid mine drainage (AMD) from old tailings continues to contaminate water supplies. The lesson is:

• Mine closure must be planned from the start, not the end. Tailings require long-term stewardship.

Zambia: Community Exposure in the Copperbelt

Studies in Zambia’s Copperbelt show elevated levels of heavy metals in water and soil near poorly managed tailings. The human cost health risks, unsafe crops, and degraded farmland is a reminder that:

• Tailings management is not only an engineering issue; it is a public health issue.

Four Lessons for the Future

1.    Governance is Non-Negotiable – Tailings safety must be managed at the board level.

2.    Global Standards Must Go Local – The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) provides direction, but companies must adapt it to African realities.

3.    Communities are Stakeholders, Not Bystanders – Engagement and transparency build trust.

4.    Technology is a Necessity, Not a Luxury – Drones, sensors, and real-time data reduce risks before they escalate.

Final Thought

The mining industry cannot afford to repeat history. Past failures whether large or small should be treated as turning points, not forgotten chapters.

Africa’s mining legacy must be measured not only in ounces of gold, copper, or cobalt, but in the safety of its people and the resilience of its environment. Because the most valuable lesson is this: safe mining is sustainable mining