Our partner Brown Matloko, an environmental activist from Wonderkop in South Africa, has launched a petition to reinforce our joint demand that the mining company Sibanye-Stillwater ensure clean air and drinking water for the affected mining communities in Marikana. BASF must also continue to exert its influence, as it continues to source platinum from Sibanye-Stillwater. As no improvements have been achieved on the ground despite BASF’s commitment, Brown Matloko has now officially filed a complaint against BASF under the Supply Chain Act.
Despite years of efforts by BASF and platinum supplier Sibanye-Stillwater, there have been no substantial improvements in the precarious living conditions in the mining communities around Marikana in South Africa. Lack of access to water, insufficient community involvement in audits and a lack of transparency regarding environmental and health risks remain serious problems.
Brown Matloko from the Wonderkop community in Marikana has therefore filed a complaint against BASF with the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control. According to the Supply Chain Act, German companies are required to take effective remedial and preventive measures, not just any measures. The unsafe mining infrastructure poses a concrete risk: as recently as April 2025, contaminated water escaped from a retention basin after heavy rainfall and flowed into the local stream – not for the first time.
Brown Matloko makes it clear: “Our benchmark for BASF’s commitment is tangible results on the ground. When it comes to the impact of Sibanye-Stillwater’s mining activities, we still see a dangerous gap between stated intentions and reality in terms of human rights, the environment and safety. Despite years of discussions, audits and supposed pressure from BASF, the promised improvements have largely failed to materialise.” Brown Matloko also made this clear at BASF’s 2025 Annual General Meeting.
However, public pressure from civil society is still needed to ensure that communities affected by mining benefit from the extraction and sale of valuable metals rather than suffering as a result. Brown Matloko has therefore launched a public petition so that even more individuals can support the demand for the right to health and safe access to drinking water.
As Association of Ethical Shareholders Germany, we support Brown Matloko and his petition and call on everyone to sign it:
