South Africa’s mining industry has shaped the country’s economy, labour system, and political history. It has generated immense wealth and powered industrial development. Yet it has also produced deep social inequality, occupational disease, environmental destruction, and enduring injustice for workers and communities.

As the country and the world enter an era defined by energy transition, climate urgency, and economic restructuring, the language of a “just transition” has become prominent. But justice cannot be assumed. It must be interrogated. Who defines transition? Who benefits from it? And who continues to carry the burden of extraction?

The tragic case of Mr Thembekile Mankayi stands as a stark reminder of mining’s human cost. After sixteen years working in gold mines, he pursued justice for occupational illness caused by silicosis. His legal struggle exposed the profound barriers faced by mine workers seeking compensation and accountability. Although the Constitutional Court ultimately ruled in his favour, he passed away just a week before the judgment. His case represents not an exception, but part of a broader crisis affecting thousands of mineworkers across Southern Africa.