The Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) has welcomed the ANC’s move to include multiparty and multi-stakeholder collaboration to solve the country’s problems, including the logistics, energy and crime crises.
The council said in a statement this week that it “stands ready” to play its role with the newly elected government to ensure economic growth and social improvement in the country.
MCSA CEO, Mzila Mthenjane, said the consideration of a government that places the constitution at the forefront of collaborative efforts to grow an inclusive economy was a favourable outcome after the elections, that represented the will of its citizens.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his summary of the outcome of the ANC’s National Executive Committee meeting on a post-election government, said there is a need to “act with speed to safeguard national unity, peace, stability, inclusive economic growth, non-racialism and non-sexism.”
He said the country needs a stable national government and provincial governments that will advance the interests of all people and urgently address job creation, inclusive economic growth, high living costs, service delivery, crime and corruption.
“Acknowledging that there is still some road to cover to reach agreement on a South African government, the Minerals Council welcomes the ANC’s acknowledgment for this process to include multiparty and multi-stakeholder collaboration, to not only resolve South Africa’s problems, but also to take advantage of considerable investment and inclusive economic development opportunities in the mining industry and other sectors of the economy,” Mthenjane said.
He said the council, which represents members who account for 90 per cent of annual mineral sales, is advocating for a “constructive, collaborative and trusting relationship amongst government, labour, civil society and the private sector”, to address the issues the president highlighted.
In the past year, the government and business groups, including the council, have been cooperating to fix the country’s energy, rail, road and ports, and to confront crime and corruption through various committees in the presidency. The committees, which comprise government ministers, senior officials, leaders of state-owned companies and business leaders, including CEOs of mining companies, have been making inroads to resolve these issues.
He said the council and its members are “staunch proponents of stability, accountability, transparency, integrity, community participation and good governance.”
“If South Africa is to fully realise the growth opportunities of its minerals potential and enter the race for critical minerals, it needs a modern, efficient and conducive operating and regulatory environment to position itself as a mining investment destination of choice. The prize is a competitive and growing mining industry that benefits the whole of South Africa’s society,” Mthenjane said.
