Activists, church leaders submit petition to Mining Indaba
FOR THE first time in eight years, community activists and church leaders finally succeeded yesterday in submitting a petition to the Africa Mining Indaba over their long-standing concerns about the plight of mining communities.
About 100 activists from the Alternative Mining Indaba (AMI) marched to the Cape Town International Convention Centre where the four-day “Investing in Africa Mining Indaba” was being held, and submitted a petition titled “Making Natural Resources Work for the People”.
The activists represented at least 450 faith-based, civil society, community-based organisations, pan-African networks, labour and women movements, as well as students.
Among the many demands submitted by the AMI was the domestication of the African Mining Vision from vision to reality.
Memorandum “We have been meeting in Cape Town to share the experiences, lessons and deliberate on the role and impact of extractives on communities, national economies, the environment, and society at large,” read the AMI memorandum.
“Cognisant of the adoption of a new global pact, the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the ongoing fragility in the global economy, but more especially in Africa (that is) following the collapse in commodity prices and the dwindling levels of external funding, mobilising adequate resources remains a national obligation and a challenge.”
Managing director of the Mining Indaba, Alex Grose, and chief executive of International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM), Tom Butler, received the petition.
They were accompanied by senior executives of the Chamber of Mines, as well as representatives from the Department of Mineral Resources.
Butler thanked AMI delegates for their courtesy, saying they appreciated the fact that both events were pan-African events.
“I would like to thank the delegates of AMI for their memorandum.
“ICMM is dedicated to a safe, fair and sustainable mining industry and open dialogue with all parties involved,” Butler said. – ANA