House Chairperson,
Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mr Gwede Mantashe
Honourable Members

It is with a great sense of honour and privilege that I address you, even though it is not my maiden address in this august house, but my maiden address as the Deputy Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, a responsibility entrusted to me for which I am greatly appreciative of.

House Chairperson, it is often said that “if it is not grown, it is mined”, for us, as South Africans, we have over a century benefitted from the mineral endowment that our nation is blessed with, however, this has not been without limitations.

Coming from an era of pit-to-port approach to mining, the enactment of the Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Act (MPRDA) in 2002 and the introduction of the Mining Charter in 2004, presented significant changes in the living conditions of mining communities and labour sending areas, transformed the working conditions of mineworkers, and paved the way for the participation of previously disadvantaged people, in particular women and youth, in the sector.

Notwithstanding the ongoing review of the MPRDA, it is encouraging that since the introduction of the Act, black ownership in the mining industry has increased from 2% to 39%, as stated by President Cyril Ramaphosa during the Mining Indaba earlier this year. Furthermore, the fact that women participation in the industry has increased to 72 000 women of which some hold executive positions in global mining companies, and that

we have the 2nd female President of the Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA), means that the industry is beginning to embrace transformation.
We are, however, mindful of the fact that despite our country’s endowment with the world’s largest reserves of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), these natural resources are largely exported out of the country in their raw form thereby exporting the jobs and profits that must accrue to the people of South Africa. It is against this background that we continue to promote local beneficiation of these natural resources.
Reality of the matter is that for South Africa to efficiently eradicate poverty, unemployment, and inequality, it will require a more rapid and inclusive economic growth, hence beneficiation at source becomes critical. To this end, government will continue to invest in sizeable resources to stimulate and grow our economy to create business and job opportunities for the youth and women, as evidenced with the newly established exploration fund and the artisanal and small-scale mining fund.

In addition to this funding, the department continues to provide non-financial support to artisanal and small-scale miners, including empowering women through the Women Diggers Programme of which, since its introduction, 200 women have been empowered with knowledge and skills.

Our considered view is that by investing in exploration efforts and empowerment of women and youth-owned mining companies will not only transform the mining industry but will further accelerate the discovery of new mineral resources, promote the emergence of new mines, and ensure that women and young people become active participants in the extraction and exploitation of our nation’s mineral endowment.

Informed by the Council for Geoscience’s (CGS) geological mapping programme which identified Limpopo, Northern Cape and North West Provinces as the corridor or new mining belt with mineral resources that are needed for the global transition from high-to-low carbon emissions, the department will continue promoting investments in these provinces to enable South Africa to optimally benefit from the anticipated increase in demand of these resources.

House chairperson, the approval of the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development (UPRD) Bill by Parliament affords us an opportunity to address the pertinent issues that affect the development and sustainability to the upstream petroleum sector. It is in this context that we will intensify our engagements with key role players in the petroleum industry, including communities so that they can be better informed about the development of this industry.

In closing, honourable members, allow me to express my gratitude to the President for this opportunity, and pledge our commitment to working with the mining and petroleum industries to make them globally competitive and resilient to the challenges confronting them.

I thank you.