EDITORIAL: Mining takes aim at Mantashe
Industry says draft bill breaks past promises, adds red tape and risks deterring investment
South Africa’s mining industry might be heading for the courts once again as it contests changes to the centrepiece industry legislation gazetted by the minerals & petroleum resources department last month.
Billed as “a critical overhaul” focused on efficiencies and with an eye towards improved investor attractiveness, the amendment bill to the 2002 Minerals & Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) is anything but that. True, it makes some welcome improvements to the way the industry is regulated, such as centralising decisions about mining licence applications rather than leaving them to the whim of regional directors. It also provides for stronger policing powers to tackle the scourge of illegal mining, and improves transparency in other areas...
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