Mr Chairman, this is not a serious budget. It is a patch, a temporary fix. It is not going to fix what is wrong. Whether the mines are performing their statutory mandate is a hugely contested area at the moment. The department does not have enough inspectors to give us an opinion on what is happening. This opens the way for the ANC and those further to the left to make extravagant claims that mines are doing nothing for the people. Those claims are clearly wrong. However, how wrong, we just do not know, because the department does not have enough inspectors; it does not have enough money. The Mining Charter is coming up for assessment and we need information, but there is not enough money for that.
Then there is the Council for Geoscience, which keeps being loaded with more responsibilities, but this government does not give it enough money. It is no good making grandiose plans if you cannot fund them.
The Risk Committee for Mines and Works has met only twice in the space of five years. Among other things, it determines levies payable for compensation of workers in mining. It is one of our most dangerous professions and one really has to question whether or not the ANC really has the interests of workers at heart.
Furthermore, there are our perennial complaints that still aren't fixed. Mineral licensing is a shambles; it is at best inefficient, but it looks crooked. The department is secretive, which makes one wonder what they have to hide. Answers to parliamentary questions are derisive sometimes. Maybe this will be fixed by the new management, but they will have to show improvement before we give them the benefit of the doubt and support this budget. For now we are going to oppose it.