Platinum, gold, copper and coal: these are some of the minerals extracted from the rich ground in South Africa.

But what happens when all the treasures buried deep in the Earth are gone, and the multinational mining corporations move on?

South Africa’s National Union of Mine Workers is hoping commitments made by governments at the UN Rio+20 conference on sustainable development will benefit its 300,000 members, the communities where they work, and their fellow miners in other African countries.

Dianne Penn who was in Brazil for the conference spoke to Eric Siyabulela Gcilitshana, the union’s National Secretary for Health and Safety at Rio+20.

Duration:  3'37"