Black ownership in the mining industry remains lower than the nine percent estimated in 2008, the National Union of Mineworkers said on Thursday.

"The South African mining industry is not far off from where it was during apartheid," NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said in a statement.

"Therefore, [for the Chamber of Mines] to suggest that transformation has surpassed the 26 percent black ownership target is not only untrue, but both ridiculous and fraudulent."

The union was speaking in support of Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu's argument in Parliament on Wednesday that the Chamber of Mines' transformation statistics were ill-informed.

Chamber spokesman Jabu Maphalala was not immediately available for comment.

Seshoka said the NUM fully understood the frustrations faced by the minister over the figures provided by the chamber on transformation in the mining industry.

"Errant companies must face the consequences which should include, but not limited to their licences being revoked," he said.

"Ownership and management remains lily-white, while the poor African workers continue to be sidelined with many Employee Share Ownership Programmes (ESOPS) drafted in such a manner as to ensure that they are indebted forever."