South Africa’s mining industry will be less exploitative and kinder to the environment in future‚ Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Godfrey Oliphant told a conference in Australia on Thursday.
“The next century of mining must also be characterized by environmentally responsible and sustainable mining. Long after the life of mine or depletion of resource‚ we want to not only see thriving economies‚ but an environment that has been faithfully rehabilitated‚” Oliphant told the three-day Paydirt 2016 Africa Down Under mining conference in Perth.
“Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past‚ or to do in other jurisdictions that which we would not be allowed or inclined to do at home. In South Africa‚ we are still dealing with the legacy of environmentally irresponsible mining in the form of over 6‚000 derelict and ownerless mines — so to speak- and acid mine drainage which pose real dangers to communities on a daily basis.
“The cost of closing shafts and holes left open as well as rehabilitating land and water systems in retrospect‚ is exorbitant and is being borne by the public. This should be unthinkable today.”
Oliphant said the SA government was upbeat about the future. “Our mining sector is mature and resilient‚ has an enviable supporting infrastructure‚ and in just a decade‚ has doubled the number of mines and quarries from 800 to around 1‚700 now across more than 50 mineral commodities.”
The Deputy Minister acknowledged challenges in the sector.
“The past few years have been challenging for the sector‚ commodity prices have fallen sharply after a sustained boom despite the global financial crisis of 2008‚” he said.
“Mining is a cyclical business‚ however‚ and there are signs that we are reaching the bottom of the downturn in commodity prices and a new balance is emerging in demand and supply of minerals. This was placed in the context of 3.3% GDP growth in the last quarter in South Africa driven in no small part by a 12% growth in the mining sector.”
Oliphant said the Government of South Africa remained committed to encouraging direct investment in the economy at large and mining in particular.
“To this extent‚ we have engaged with stakeholders to identify their needs and concerns‚” he said.
“Principle amongst these is regulatory efficiency and the cost of doing business and we are addressing these through initiatives like the development of Special Economic Zones and the establishment of a one-stop shop for investments‚ called InvestSA.”
Oliphant said that South Africa will also continue to pursue value addition and beneficiation‚ and leverage its position as supplier of 80% of global platinum output while addressing energy security through development of fuel cells.
The Deputy Minister also spoke of the work to address the compensation of ex-mineworkers‚ treatment of mining related diseases.
“Some of these health issues are not emerging until 20 years or so after mining ceased‚ and due to the asbestos mining in the past‚ there are still ex-mineworkers being diagnosed with asbestosis.”
The Deputy Minister referred to benchmarking studies undertaken in Australia with support of the University of Queensland and the need to address the growing demand for increased compensation in a sector that historically relied on cheap labour.
South Africa will ensure mining industry does less harm to environment - Deputy Minister
South Africa’s mining industry will be less exploitative and kinder to the environment in future‚ Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Godfrey Oliphant told a conference in Australia on Thursday.
“The next century of mining must also be characterized by environmentally responsible and sustainable mining. Long after the life of mine or depletion of resource‚ we want to not only see thriving economies‚ but an environment that has been faithfully rehabilitated‚” Oliphant told the three-day Paydirt 2016 Africa Down Under mining conference in Perth.
“Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past‚ or to do in other jurisdictions that which we would not be allowed or inclined to do at home. In South Africa‚ we are still dealing with the legacy of environmentally irresponsible mining in the form of over 6‚000 derelict and ownerless mines — so to speak- and acid mine drainage which pose real dangers to communities on a daily basis.
“The cost of closing shafts and holes left open as well as rehabilitating land and water systems in retrospect‚ is exorbitant and is being borne by the public. This should be unthinkable today.”
Oliphant said the SA government was upbeat about the future. “Our mining sector is mature and resilient‚ has an enviable supporting infrastructure‚ and in just a decade‚ has doubled the number of mines and quarries from 800 to around 1‚700 now across more than 50 mineral commodities.”
The Deputy Minister acknowledged challenges in the sector.
“The past few years have been challenging for the sector‚ commodity prices have fallen sharply after a sustained boom despite the global financial crisis of 2008‚” he said.
“Mining is a cyclical business‚ however‚ and there are signs that we are reaching the bottom of the downturn in commodity prices and a new balance is emerging in demand and supply of minerals. This was placed in the context of 3.3% GDP growth in the last quarter in South Africa driven in no small part by a 12% growth in the mining sector.”
Oliphant said the Government of South Africa remained committed to encouraging direct investment in the economy at large and mining in particular.
“To this extent‚ we have engaged with stakeholders to identify their needs and concerns‚” he said.
“Principle amongst these is regulatory efficiency and the cost of doing business and we are addressing these through initiatives like the development of Special Economic Zones and the establishment of a one-stop shop for investments‚ called InvestSA.”
Oliphant said that South Africa will also continue to pursue value addition and beneficiation‚ and leverage its position as supplier of 80% of global platinum output while addressing energy security through development of fuel cells.
The Deputy Minister also spoke of the work to address the compensation of ex-mineworkers‚ treatment of mining related diseases.
“Some of these health issues are not emerging until 20 years or so after mining ceased‚ and due to the asbestos mining in the past‚ there are still ex-mineworkers being diagnosed with asbestosis.”
The Deputy Minister referred to benchmarking studies undertaken in Australia with support of the University of Queensland and the need to address the growing demand for increased compensation in a sector that historically relied on cheap labour.
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