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The Presidency has welcomed the indefinite postponement by the North Gauteng High Court of an application by the Chamber of Mines and seven mining community networks against the Mining Charter.
In a statement today, the Presidency highlighted the importance of community consultation on the controversial charter.
The Mining Affected Communities organisation approached the court a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced an agreement with the Chamber of Mines, the National Union of Mineworkers and Solidarity to suspend the court application to review the charter.
The review hearing of the Mining Charter was scheduled to begin on Monday but was postponed, with the court saying negotiations between the Presidency and interested parties must be given enough time.
“Among other prospects, this judgment enables all stakeholders to address the concern by representatives of mining affected communities that they had not been properly engaged on an agreement between the Chamber of Mines and the department of mineral resources on the postponement of the court application,” the Presidency said.
“The Presidency reaffirms its commitment to ensure that communities are integrally involved in consultations not only on the Mining Charter, but on all matters relating to the development of this sector.”
In his state of the nation address on Friday, Ramaphosa said the government was determined to work with mining companies, unions and communities to grow the mining sector, attract new investment, create jobs and set the industry on a new path of transformation and sustainability.
“This year, we will intensify engagements with all stakeholders on the Mining Charter to ensure that it is truly an effective instrument to sustainably transform the face of mining in South Africa,” he said.
Read: SA asked, Ramaphosa delivered. Well, sort of
It is regrettable that there was insufficient consultation on the issue of the postponement, said the Presidency, adding that the government would ensure this matter was corrected in future engagement on the Mining Charter.
The strained relationship between Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and the chamber reached boiling point last year.
At the Mining Indaba at the beginning of February, Chamber of Mines chief executive Roger Baxter said the organisation was maintaining the stance it decided on in September last year of not engaging with Zwane because the industry had lost confidence in the minister “given the allegations of state capture hanging over his head”.
During a panel discussion, Zwane said: “Where people think there are issues, we are willing to listen to them.”
Read: Mosebenzi Zwane: Tell mine bosses I love them
Baxter said that the chamber had been “engaging key leaders of the ANC”, and the organanisation had effectively called for Zwane to be replaced.
When City Press asked Zwane for his reaction to this call, he said: “Tell them I love them.”
There was speculation that, given the changes in the leadership of the ANC, Zwane could be on his way out.
