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The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy has resolved to determine a way forward on the assessment of Glencore’s activities in South Africa at a later meeting. 

This is after the company has entered into a plea agreement with the United States of America (USA) on two separate charges in May this year. The committee, acting on the House Chairperson for committees in the National Assembly’s request to look into the matter, firstly sought legal advice from Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Services Office on how to move forward.  

The committee was then advised to consider getting a briefing on Glencore’s activities in South Africa from the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and it received that briefing on Tuesday morning. 

The committee learned that South Africa is not mentioned anywhere in the 97-page plea agreement between Glencore and USA’s Department of Justice. It also understands that Glencore’s offences appeared to have been mainly in oil trading. 

According to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the offences were committed with parties in the USA, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

It is against this backdrop that the committee is of the view that, on the basis of its legal nature, the matter relating to Glencore would best be suited to be handled by the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services. 

The committee has expressed its willingness to avail itself and cooperate in any other process that could be undertaken jointly with the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services. 

During his opening remarks in Tuesday’s meeting, the Chairperson of the committee, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, reiterated the committee’s disappointment with the withdrawal of sexual assault and armed robbery charges against the 14 suspects arrested in Krugersdorp. 

Mr Luzipo said that dropping of charges was a setback in the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence which the country is trying so hard to defeat. 

“We know that government is trying so hard to defeat this scourge based on the President’s consistent participation in the national summit on gender-based violence. Also, we hope that the dropping of charges is just a temporary retreat and that the law enforcement agencies will remain relentless until the right perpetrators are brought to book,”added Mr Luzipo.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo