Minerals Council SA’s call for Transnet CEO, Rail Chief to be axed is fuelled by Mineral Council’s anti-transformation stance

12 January 2023

The Black Business Council (BBC) is advising Minerals Council SA to desist from harassing the CEO of Transnet, who is effecting transformation in the rail sector. Transnet recently announced that they have taken steps to open up capacity allocation for emerging manganese miners. By providing 100% growth capacity for emerging manganese miners and ensuring a 25% of total available capacity will be at the emerging miners' disposal, Transnet has taken a significant step in transforming the economy in general, and the mining sector in particular.

This is the actual matter that the Minerals Council is fighting Transnet CEO for, as she is poised to change the game and allocate more capacity for other strategic minerals to emerging miners in the coming years, thereby breaking the market concentration produced by apartheid.

The BBC is therefore convinced that the Minerals Council SA's calls for Transnet CEO, Rail Chief to be axed is fuelled by Mineral Council's anti transformation stance. South Africans should be reminded that these are the very same people who have been resisting economic transformation by taking government to court forcing "once empowered, always empowered" — a concept meaning that mining right holders will be able to retain their empowerment status even if their empowerment partners dispose of their stake in the firm holding the mining right after the mining right has been granted.

This is proof enough that they want to protect the status quo, retain the same patterns of ownership and exclude young black and female emerging miners .

The BBC stands firm behind the Transnet CEO and Board as they pursue the country's transfomatory agenda. The BBC applauds Transnet's efforts to open the market to new entrants as this will result in job creation, inclusive and economic growth as well as participation by the previously disadvantaged in the mainstream economy.

Issued by Black Business Council, 12 January 2023