South Africa
1
STATEMENT BY SOUTH AFRICA ON MINING, AT THE IPM FOR THE NINETEENTH
SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
02 March 2011
Delivered by Mrs. Ntokozo Ngcwabe
Department of Mineral Resources, South Africa
Chairperson,
South Africa wishes to expressly support the report and proposals made by the
Chairperson of the IGF, we support the housing of the global mining initiative within the
UNCTAND structure. We further support his call for the formal recognition of the mining
policy framework he presented.
A lot of progress has been made since the WSSD in Johannesburg. We have also
witnessed over the years that members have done a lot of work in the policy space with
the view to strengthen legislation to be in line with the JPOI. The challenge however still
remains, that of effective implementation.
CSD 19 is a policy year and it comes at an apt time for South Africa as we are currently
sharpening our legislative instruments to ensure that we achieve effective
implementation, realise the desired growth while achieving our transformation goals.
The country has therefore made some strides in ensuring that we lay a good foundation
in preparing ourselves to take full advantage of the mineral wealth at our disposal during
the next foreseen commodities boom and beyond.
The Government of South Africa has also partnered with its social partners and
developed a strategy for the sustainable growth and transformation, this is a broad
strategy encompassing all aspects affecting transformation and sustainability from
environmental management, promotion of investments, infrastructure development to
mine health and safety matters and many other ancillary aspects. We believe that this
is a critical formula to use as we look at instruments to effective policy implementation
2
On the broader regulation front, Chairperson, South Africa is further reviewing both the
Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) and the
Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 (MHSA) to strengthen both pieces of legislation
such that they promote a balance in both economic growth and transformation. This is
done concurrently with ramping up our application management system to ensure that
governance is improved, this would include restricting mining in sensitive
environmentally sensitive areas like the territorial waters of SA. This is also viewed as
a crucial policy intervention to effective regulation.
We have further developed the Beneficiation Strategy to promote local value addition by
processing and producing products locally thus ensuring that value is added locally thus
creating jobs and substantially growing the South African economy.
Chairperson, it is common knowledge that like many other mining jurisdictions with a
long history of mining, South Africa is burdened with a huge liability arising from derelict
and ownerless mines. We reported last year that we have developed strategy for the
rehabilitation of such and we have since developed an implementation plan to put the
strategy into action and the actual physical work has commenced in areas close to
communities. We have also partnered initiated some partnerships with developed
countries to ensure that we establish exchange programmes that would assist us in
successful implementation of the strategy, another intervention for skills development
and technology transfer to ensure effective implementation.
Key challenges
While we are resolute on strengthening our legislative framework, research and
development still remains a challenge for the advancement of mineral development.
This involves issues pertinent to rehabilitation, studies on mine water management,
particularly acid mine drainage, management of rising water levels in deep level mining
and many others.
3
On the health and safety front, reaching our target of zero fatalities in our deep level
mines remains a challenge, this area also requires more partnerships in research and
innovation programmes that seek to ensure that the safety of our workers at the mines
is guaranteed and the working conditions improved.
In conclusion Chairperson, South Africa has made a lot of progress in ensuring that
sustainable development in the mining sector is enhanced. However, like many
developing nations, South Africa requires research, technology development, finances,
capacity building support in order to achieve the desired development balance in
mining.
Thank You.
STATEMENT BY SOUTH AFRICA ON MINING, AT THE IPM FOR THE NINETEENTH
SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
02 March 2011
Delivered by Mrs. Ntokozo Ngcwabe
Department of Mineral Resources, South Africa
Chairperson,
South Africa wishes to expressly support the report and proposals made by the
Chairperson of the IGF, we support the housing of the global mining initiative within the
UNCTAND structure. We further support his call for the formal recognition of the mining
policy framework he presented.
A lot of progress has been made since the WSSD in Johannesburg. We have also
witnessed over the years that members have done a lot of work in the policy space with
the view to strengthen legislation to be in line with the JPOI. The challenge however still
remains, that of effective implementation.
CSD 19 is a policy year and it comes at an apt time for South Africa as we are currently
sharpening our legislative instruments to ensure that we achieve effective
implementation, realise the desired growth while achieving our transformation goals.
The country has therefore made some strides in ensuring that we lay a good foundation
in preparing ourselves to take full advantage of the mineral wealth at our disposal during
the next foreseen commodities boom and beyond.
The Government of South Africa has also partnered with its social partners and
developed a strategy for the sustainable growth and transformation, this is a broad
strategy encompassing all aspects affecting transformation and sustainability from
environmental management, promotion of investments, infrastructure development to
mine health and safety matters and many other ancillary aspects. We believe that this
is a critical formula to use as we look at instruments to effective policy implementation
2
On the broader regulation front, Chairperson, South Africa is further reviewing both the
Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (MPRDA) and the
Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 (MHSA) to strengthen both pieces of legislation
such that they promote a balance in both economic growth and transformation. This is
done concurrently with ramping up our application management system to ensure that
governance is improved, this would include restricting mining in sensitive
environmentally sensitive areas like the territorial waters of SA. This is also viewed as
a crucial policy intervention to effective regulation.
We have further developed the Beneficiation Strategy to promote local value addition by
processing and producing products locally thus ensuring that value is added locally thus
creating jobs and substantially growing the South African economy.
Chairperson, it is common knowledge that like many other mining jurisdictions with a
long history of mining, South Africa is burdened with a huge liability arising from derelict
and ownerless mines. We reported last year that we have developed strategy for the
rehabilitation of such and we have since developed an implementation plan to put the
strategy into action and the actual physical work has commenced in areas close to
communities. We have also partnered initiated some partnerships with developed
countries to ensure that we establish exchange programmes that would assist us in
successful implementation of the strategy, another intervention for skills development
and technology transfer to ensure effective implementation.
Key challenges
While we are resolute on strengthening our legislative framework, research and
development still remains a challenge for the advancement of mineral development.
This involves issues pertinent to rehabilitation, studies on mine water management,
particularly acid mine drainage, management of rising water levels in deep level mining
and many others.
3
On the health and safety front, reaching our target of zero fatalities in our deep level
mines remains a challenge, this area also requires more partnerships in research and
innovation programmes that seek to ensure that the safety of our workers at the mines
is guaranteed and the working conditions improved.
In conclusion Chairperson, South Africa has made a lot of progress in ensuring that
sustainable development in the mining sector is enhanced. However, like many
developing nations, South Africa requires research, technology development, finances,
capacity building support in order to achieve the desired development balance in
mining.
Thank You.
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