MQA Mining Skills Lekgotla: Cake Cutting Ceremony
Gallagher Estate, 26 February 2026
Programme Director,
Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Training, Mr Buti Manamela,
Chairperson of MQA Board, Dr Nomusa Zethu Qunta, and Board Members,
CEO of the MQA, Dr Thabo Mashongoane and your Executive Team,
Captains of Industry,
Organised Labour,
Representatives of State-Owned Entities and Government Departments,
Beneficiaries from various MQA learning programmes,
Distinguished Guests
It is a great joy and pride that we, as the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), join you in celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA).
This milestone is not only significant for the MQA as an institution, but for our country. It represents three decades of deliberate effort to build the skills base required to sustain and transform South Africa’s mining industry for the benefit of all our people.
There is no doubt that mining has played a pivotal role in the development of our nation. This is evidenced by its immense contribution through tax revenue, foreign exchange earnings, infrastructure development, and employment creation.
However, we must acknowledge that its history is not without challenges. It has been marked by deep structural exclusion.
For decades prior to the dawn of democracy, the industry was characterised by racial and gender discrimination entrenched in law and practice. Black people – and in particular women - were systematically excluded from meaningful participation in the industry.
Despite their competence and experience, black mineworkers were denied blasting certificates, which were reserved for white males.
Women were prohibited by law from working in the mines.
Black mineworkers were deprived of fair access to benefits, including retirement funds.
The advent of democracy in 1994 marked a decisive break with this painful past. Not only did it usher in a constitutional order grounded in human dignity, equality, and freedom, it gave us the opportunity to correct historical injustices.
In the mining sector, this translated into a new regulatory framework designed to promote transformation, ensure responsible and sustainable mining, and drives socio-economic development. Central to this reform agenda is the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), which fundamentally restructured mineral rights in our country and embedded transformation as a core principle of mining governance.
Equally important has been the introduction of the Mining Charter, which advances meaningful participation of historically disadvantaged South Africans across ownership, management, employment equity, procurement, and skills development.
However, we understood that transformation without skills development will be hollow. We needed to decisively address safety, training, and capacity-building to ensure meaningful participation in the sector. It is in this context that the MQA was established, in terms of the Mine Health and Safet Act, to champion mining skills development in the industry.
The MQA’s subsequent formalisation as a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) strengthened its mandate and positioned it at the centre of a tripartite partnership involving government, business, and organised labour. This structure has been instrumental in aligning skills development with industry needs while advancing equity and inclusion.
Thirty years later, the work of the MQA is yielding results.
Today, approximately 80% of the mining workforce is black, with black ownership reaching approximately 40%.
More than 78 000 women are active participants in the industry - occupying key roles not as a favour, but as qualified, competent, and deserving professionals.
Notwithstanding the setback at the Ekapa Mine in Kimberley, we must also recognise that the South African mining industry continues to make significant progress in health and safety. The 2025 calendar year recorded 41 fatalities in the industry – the lowest number of fatalities in our mining history. This progress reflects the collective effort of regulators, companies, labour, and institutions such as the MQA.
We must, however, remain vigilant as even one life lost is one too many.
As social partners, we must continue working together to realise the full objectives of our regulatory reforms. The vision encapsulated in the MPRDA – that is currently under review – and the Mining Charter must not remain in paper, it must be realised in workplaces, training centres, and communities across the country.
Advancing skills, safety, and transformation cannot be the responsibility of the government alone. It is not the responsibility of the MQA alone. It is a shared and collective duty.
As we celebrate 30 years of the MQA, we commend its outstanding contribution to mine health and safety, to artisan development, to learnership and bursaries, and to building a skilled and safety-conscious workforce.
To the leadership, staff, and partners of the MQA, thank you for your dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment. Continue to prioritise the training and development of our citizens, particularly women and youth, who continue to bear the brunt of poverty and inequality.
Let this cake-cutting ceremony symbolise more than celebration. Let it symbolise renewal, collaboration, and a recommitment to deepening transformation in our mining industry.
I thank you.