Charter to guide mining transformation

The mining charter was developed to guide the process of transformation in the mining industry and is a document involving multiple role players, the 2013 Mining Lekgotla heard on Thursday.

 

"Such an instrument is meant to give effect to transformation of the industry and is the first of its kind to be introduced," Parliament's mineral resources portfolio committee acting chairwoman Faith Bikani said.

 

"The mining charter also sought to address the issue of beneficiation, promote investment, as well as address the socio-economic movement of mining communities."

 

Bikani said improvement to the housing conditions of mining communities was needed. On a committee oversight visit they found that there was "abject poverty" in the communities.

 

"Companies should start determining developmental community needs," she said.

 

For South Africa to improve its economic status, everyone in the mining sector needed to work together and sustain efforts of working as a "multi-discipline task team".

 

"[South Africa should] avoid forever and ever talks which never become transparent and evident in implementating strategies for the greater masses to understand," she said.

 

Bikani also asked the lekgotla to identify which part of the charter was not clear and needed to be clarified. She said social labour plans needed to be strengthened.

 

The lekgotla was attended by representatives of the South African mining industry as well as other African countries like Botswana, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

Mining companies needed to become part of implementations for transformation to take place, she said. Thursday was the last day of the lekgotla.

 

 - Sapa