Chairperson, I am standing here, not as a member of the portfolio committee, but I am representing, on behalf of the party, the hon member who should be here.
This Bill, besides updating terminology in respect of the various government departments, addresses core issues surrounding safe infrastructural development within the sphere of geohazards and related perils.
Importantly, the Bill seeks to instruct the Council for Geoscience to act as a national advisory body within the above spheres, which should engender a co-ordinated and comprehensive oversight of their mandate. Additionally, the council would also be a custodian of all geotechnical information and reports, as all documents of this nature will have to be submitted by parties involved in work of this nature.
The Bill also seeks to mandate the council to undertake extensive research in the petroleum and mineral prospecting sectors that could in the future prove very advantageous to our country and her economy. South Africa is the richest country in the world in terms of the actual minerals still in the ground, and such wealth should be worth literally trillions in US dollars.
As such, it should be judiciously managed, and it is in this vein that the Council for Geoscience has a great responsibility to the people of South Africa in that it must work very closely with the Departments of Energy and Mineral Resources in order to ensure a wise and informed decision-making process with regard to all geotechnical and related matters.
In conclusion, the IFP supports the Geoscience Amendment Bill and we believe it to be a very important step in the right direction for geoscience exploration, management and oversight. We look forward to engaging with the Council for Geoscience on all aspects relating to the new mandate in terms of this legislation in the future. I thank you.