African Mining Partnership (AMP) ministerial meeting, welcoming speech by Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, delivered at the Southern Sun, Cape Town

Honourable Ministers,
Distinguished guests from the mining industry,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of South Africa, I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone to this fifth African Mining Partnership Plenary here in Cape Town. The high level of support and response from African states to deliberate on the need for the continent to put in place an efficient and integrated mining programme is indicative of a continued resolve to put Africa on the economic map of the modern world.

The African Mining Partnership initiative is consistent with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), which captures the common vision for African growth and development, as set forth by the leaders of the continent in October 2001. The Nepad document says: "The New Partnership for Africa's Development recognises that there have been attempts in the past to set out continent-wide development programmes. For a variety of reasons, both internal and external, including questionable leadership and ownership by Africans themselves, these have been less than successful."

As South Africa, we continue to host this plenary because we are committed to a united African voice on the future of Africa. This can only be achieved through the promotion of an open and stable policy framework that supports the continent's participation in the global economy.

Africa is achieving more as a collective. The European Union-African Union Summit held in Lisbon last year is a clear indication of the extent of Africa's accomplishment through its united voice. I am also informed that Namibia is this year the vice-chair (to India) of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and that it will be Chair in 2009.

Let us support Namibia and ensure that it becomes just as successful in this role as its preceding African countries. Several other African states have been re-accepted into the Kimberley Process Scheme, while others have expressed their intent to join. This is a clear indication that Africa is taking its rightful position in the global mining platform but also taking responsibility on behalf of its people.

I would argue that Africa has also been quite successful in its membership in the United Nations Security Council. The success of the three member countries is resultant from the vast support of other African countries seeking to ensure that the African Century is assured and realised earlier than envisaged.

I also wish to thank the Government and the people of Nigeria for hosting the third executive committee meeting of the AMP that took place between 23 and 25 August 2007. At this meeting, it was noted that virtually all of the projects have made progress, albeit financing of these projects remained a challenge. Consequently, the meeting endorsed the formation of a Working Group to address the perennial challenge of funding AMP projects.

The meeting also tasked the Secretariat to develop an African Mining Policy framework along with the Sustainable Development Charter for mining, which will serve as a yardstick for mining and mineral policy development in the continent. All of us look forward to receiving a comprehensive officials' report which will be detailing further progress on AMP and related projects.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, let me reiterate my wish to see this partnership set precedence for Africa's co-operatives. I am told that the Ministers will be taking a tour to a wine farm this afternoon. It seems to me we have a tight schedule and time is precious. Once again, I welcome you all to this conference and anticipate successful deliberations.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Minerals and Energy
2 February 2008