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The Minerals Council South Africa is fully committed to transformation of the mining sector despite certain provisions in the 2018 Mining Charter set aside in a recent High Court judgment and it remains committed to engage all stakeholders to continue this journey.

The Minerals Council appreciates concerns raised by some Members of Parliament in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Petroleum on 23 November 2021 about the implications of the High Court judgment for transformation of the mining sector.

The Minerals Council is willing to engage the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee to address any concerns and to demonstrate that its members continue to be fully committed to socio- economic transformation of the mining industry.

Senior Minerals Council leadership met with Minister Gwede Mantashe and senior DMRE officials soon after the judgment and recommitted the industry to transformation of the sector. Minister Mantashe has also acknowledged this commitment as one of the reasons not to lodge an appeal against the judgment.

Mining companies continue to be bound by the underlying terms and conditions incorporated in mining permits and licences, which governs obligations under transformation and social and labour plans. These are not affected by the judgment.

In line with Section 2(d) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), which requires mining companies to “substantially and meaningfully expand opportunities for historically disadvantaged persons, including women to enter the mineral and petroleum industries,” the Minerals Council’s independent Mining Industry Transformation Progress Report for 2019, showed the significant achievements of the sector.

The report can be found here: https://www.mineralscouncil.org.za/work/transformation

 

Issued by The Minerals Council South Africa