NUM welcomes new Mining Charter

THE NATIONAL Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Friday said while it welcomed the reviewed Mining Charter gazetted last week, the goverment-set targets for black ownership of the country’s mineral wealth could have gone further.

The union welcomed the introduction of a 30 percent black ownership target for all mines.

“Even though the department and the minister did not implement the incremental targets as per our submissions, thus industry achieving 35 percent as a minimum target by 2022.

“We do nonetheless appreciate the increase from the initial 26 percent to the 30 percent minimum BEE shareholding in the industry,” NUM said.

Disappointed

NUM said it was however disappointed that Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane had not increased economic benefits for mineworkers and mining communities to 10 percent.

“Unfortunately and to our disappointment on this aspect the minister (has) limited employees’ and communities’ ownership to 8 percent each on the designated 30 percent BEE ownership in mining companies, thus BEE entrepreneurs and current institutional owners remain with 84 percent (with a minimum of 14 percent in the hands of black entrepreneurs).”

The union also slammed the Chamber of Mines’ intention to interdict the government from implementing the charter, saying this was “regrettable and regressive”.

Admission

“Especially in the light of the Chamber of Mines’ own admission that they have far achieved the contemplated 30 percent ownership target, this leaves us with this question: in whose interest is the chamber opposing transformation in the mining industry?”

The union said that it would mobilise communities against mining houses opposed to the reviewed charter.