Gwede Mantashe fuzzy on pushing black ownership of mines beyond 30%
‘Any reasonable concerns’ about the third Mining Charter will be addressed by teams set up at the recent meeting of government, business and labour
New Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe would not be pinned down on whether the government would push required black ownership of mining companies beyond the 30% that is under negotiation with the industry, labour and communities — which has increased from the 14-year-old level of 26%. Mantashe said at a media briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday that he wanted the new Mining Charter completed and gazetted before the end of June this year, and the promulgation of the amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act to be expedited. He singled out regulatory and policy certainty as a priority for the start of his tenure. However, he was vague when asked whether the 30% target would be nudged up. He said the 30% set out in the controversial — and now suspended — third iteration of the charter, which the Chamber of Mines took to court to be reviewed and scrapped, was not an issue at talks between industry and organised labour at the weekend. “There is no problem aroun...
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