ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we summarise the main findings of our study in Postmasburg against the backdrop of the international literature and the South African policy context. Although some of the discourse from the main theoretical understandings is applicable to Postmasburg, the outcomes suggest that it would be unwise to apply these theoretical constructs indiscriminately. At the policy level, we emphasise strategic and spatial planning that deals with vulnerability, with the need for better coordination and with the need for good governance amid continued power struggles in mining communities. Such planning should also contend with the need for good corporate citizenship, the need for transparency and information sharing, and the need for housing and infrastructure. It should moreover take into consideration any long-term implications such as mine downscaling and promote better articulation of the local development responsibilities of mining companies. Finally, we question whether it is necessary to create large-scale settlements in close proximity to mines and we discuss the social well-being of mineworkers and the residents of remote mining towns.
