ANGOLA Law and Practice Contributed by: João Afonso Fialho, Marizeth Vicente and Lukeny Pascoal, VdA
with organised criminal networks, putting worker safety and health at considerable risk. Reaction of the Government and Mining Companies Enforcement and legislation The Angolan government has strengthened enforcement and the application of rigorous laws, such as Law No 8/24 of 3 July. This law establishes severe penalties for illegal mining activities, including: • prison sentences – penalties range from two to eight years’ imprisonment, depending on the severity of the crime; • fines – these are established based on frac - tions of the value specified in Article 111, paragraph 2 of the Mining Code, for example, fines of one sixth, one third, or one tenth of the specified value, depending on the specific infraction; and • increased penalties – in specific cases, penal - ties are increased by one third of the mini - mum limit for crimes involving public authori - ties, impacting state projects, using violence, child labour, association with criminal organi - sations, fraud, obstructing authorities, signifi - cant environmental damage, or activities in protected areas. Partnerships and collaborative actions Legally operating mining companies often col - laborate with government authorities and regu - latory bodies to combat illegal mining. These partnerships may include the use of monitoring technologies and reporting of suspicious activi - ties. Corporate social responsibility programmes Many mining companies have invested in corpo - rate social responsibility programmes to educate local communities about the negative impacts
of illegal mining, offering sustainable economic alternatives and promoting good environmental practices. Public awareness campaigns Public awareness campaigns are conducted to highlight the dangers and adverse impacts of illegal mining on both the environment and local communities, emphasising the importance of legal and sustainable mining practices. 2.9 Good and Bad Examples of Community Relations/Consultation Impacting Mining Projects Examples of the positive impact of mineral activities in local communities are social projects implemented by the holders of mineral rights in the villages around the mines (eg, building of infrastructure and roads, and water and electric - ity supply structures, to the benefit of the local communities) and the increase in jobs available to local communities. Examples of negative impacts are those linked with reportedly unsatisfactory working condi - tions, human rights violations or damage to the environment.
3. Climate Change, Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Mining 3.1 Climate Change Effects
Climate change is on the agenda of the Angolan government but has not yet (directly) impacted the mining industry. 3.2 Climate Change Legislation and Proposals Related to Mining Angola has not yet passed specific climate change legislation related to mining. There is,
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