Chrome miner says Sibanye-Stillwater pumped water into pit, alleges R67m losses

Androsol Mining says an alleged discharge of water from neighbouring property owned by Sibanye-Stillwater flooded its open-cast pit near Mooinooi on June 15–16, damaging equipment and ore and costing the company what it estimates to be more than R67 million.

What happened at Elandskraal

Androsol says operations at its prospect Elandskraal 469JQ, Portion 128, were under way on the morning of June 16 when an excavator had to be abandoned after water rushed into the pit. The company says workers had been scheduled to move about 35,000 tonnes of run-of-mine chrome ore and supply three contracted beneficiation wash plants.

According to Androsol, a metal pipe was observed being installed through the fence from neighbouring property on June 15, 2026, and water was pumped into its active pit. The company estimates that about 20,000 tonnes of chrome ore were affected, producing an alleged loss of roughly R24 million. Androsol also estimates damage to equipment and stockpiles at more than R43 million for June 16 alone. These figures have not been independently verified.

Dispute over reasons and legality

Sibanye-Stillwater confirmed in a written response to IOL that it installed a pipe and discharged water into the area occupied by Androsol’s operation, but rejected claims that the action was intended to damage the neighbouring operation.

Sibanye says its teams inspected the area on June 15 and identified mining activity within a statutory 100-metre setback around a landfill stormwater dam on its property. The company said the situation presented an immediate safety risk and that authorities, including the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, were informed.

“The chrome mining activities pose a serious risk of failure or collapse of the stormwater dam. This could put lives at risk and could result in the uncontrolled release of contaminated stormwater and possible environmental pollution,”

said Sibanye spokesperson Jana Marais.

Sibanye also said it obtained permission from the Department of Water and Sanitation before acting and that it briefed regulators afterwards. The company denied that mining-related contaminants were discharged into the pit, saying the water originated from a landfill site and was contained within the licensed water system.

Androsol’s response and allegations

Androsol rejects the safety justification. Its principal, Ezra Nkosi, said representatives returned the morning after the first discharge with armed security to prevent Androsol from stopping the pumping. He said operators were not warned prior to the discharge and that the excavator operator had to flee the pit as water levels rose.

“They didn’t just flood us. They came back the next morning with armed security to make sure we couldn’t stop them,”

Nkosi said.

Regulatory and legal questions remain

According to IOL, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the South African Police Service had not responded to questions by the time of publication. As a result, IOL was unable to independently verify whether DWS approved the discharge, whether regulators had inspected the site, or whether any formal investigation had been initiated.

Mining law practitioners told IOL that whether Androsol’s pit complied with setback requirements is a technical matter requiring independent surveying and regulatory determination. These figures have not been independently verified, IOL notes.

Possible next steps

Sibanye has denied liability for any losses and maintains its actions were necessary to address an immediate safety and environmental risk. Androsol says it is the sole supplier of run-of-mine chrome ore to three local wash plants and estimates direct losses from the incident in excess of R67 million, excluding downstream impacts. Whether the discharge was justified and whether either party bears legal responsibility are matters likely to be determined by regulators or in court.