Thank you, Deputy Speaker. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has been receiving decent audit outcome for several years. The ANC is pleased with the achievement of clean audit in the 2018/19 Financial Year, an improvement on the previous financial year unqualified audit opinion.
The strides made by the Ministry and the department in the previous financial year in terms of engaging all industry stakeholders, has borne some fruits. In spite of the mining council's court challenge the most significant charter which has gazetted after months of consultation the 19% reduction in the number of fatalities should comfort mine workers and their families that the ANC government is committed in working towards the target of zero fatalities.
The investment of over R40 billion in mining and creation of 4 000 jobs are signs that mining is becoming a sunrise industry. Thus, responding to the call made by the President during his state of the nation address. The department has to address the challenge of corruption, maladministration and shortage of capacity particularly in underachieving mineral regulation programme. We call on the department to consider bringing to Parliament the legislation that will allow the state to intervene in mining operations that are in distress.
These have devastating impacts on workers and communities, for example; in Lilly Mine, Optimum and Aurora amongst others. The ANC expects the department to produce action plans to deal with issues raised in the Budget Review and Recommendation Report, particularly, the legislative drafting programme that stalled in the fifth Parliament. I want to say, Deputy Speaker, that this Report was unanimously adopted in the committee. While other people come to this Parliament to grandstand, to howl and to shout empty slogans, thina (we) in the ANC ...
IsiZulu:
... si ya qhuba ...
English:
... with our programme of moving South Africa forward. The ANC support this Report. [Applause.] Question put.
Motion agreed to (Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Report accordingly adopted.