NUM statement on the Gazetted Mining Charter for public comment

17 April 2016

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) welcomes the Gazetted Reviewed Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Charter for the South African Mining and Mineral Industry by the Minister of Mineral Resources Honourable Mosebenzi Zwane (MP), this is in line with Section 100 of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act 2002. 

This puts the industry well on time to achieve its alignment process with the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 2003 and the dti Codes of Good Practice as per the Minister of Trade and Industry exemption Gazetted in 2015.

The NUM National Office Bearers will be undertaking to engage Minister Zwane and the Acting Director General Mr Msiza during the prescribed 30 days consultation period and hoping all stakeholders will embrace this positive development. We reiterate our call on the implementation of corrective actions in line with MPRDA on all mining right holders who have failed to comply with the current mining charter targets and this draft should pave way for the withdrawal of all court processes by various parties including the Chamber of Mines..

The NUM will study the draft Mining Charter and prepare a substantial contribution that will be submitted to the Department of Mineral Resources within the prescribed period, with the hope of ensuring the workers benefit through Employee Share Ownership Schemes, Human Resources Development, Home Ownership and Employment Equity amongst other elements.

As currently we see companies like Sibanye Gold operating freely with any employees or community ownership schemes, which makes it a gross violation of Section 100 of the MPRDA.

Issued by Luthando Brukwe, NUM Head of Transformation, 17 April 2016