Minerals Resources Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report

Meeting report

Election of Acting Chairperson
The Chairperson of the Committee, Mr F Gona, could not attend the meeting due to a bereavement in his family. As a result, Ms F Bikani (ANC) was elected to chair the meeting in terms of the Parliamentary Rules.

Minerals Resources Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report
The Acting Chairperson opened the floor for comments on the Report indicating that Members had ample time to study the Report.

Ms B Tinto (ANC) noted that the report had some grammatical and spelling errors which needed to be corrected in order to make the Report more coherent.

The Acting Chairperson pointed out that corrections and the necessary re-wording would be done. It was also noted that there needed to be a proper review of the Mining Charter based on the public hearing observations by the Committee. It was pointed out that women in small scale mining needed more assistance in line with the Department’s transformation agenda.

Mr C Gololo (ANC) noted that certain sentences in the Report needed re-phrasing in order to make them more clear and understandable.

Ms M Phaliso (ANC) said that the term vulnerable group was too vague and the Report needed to make it clear that the affected groups were woman and the disabled.  It was also pointed out that for future reference all transformation targets should be clearly spelt out. She also raised contradictions in terms of the targets met by the Department, making a note of the fact that this may cause confusion in the public domain.

Mr M Sonto (ANC) emphasised that the Department was seriously underfunded to an extent that it could not perform some of its functions.

Mr E Marias (DA) added that the Department was underfunded especially in its function of rehabilitating mines and noted that this needed serious and urgent attention.

Mr Gololo said that the Department did not meet most of its targets because of lack of funds.

Ms Tinto commented that all the vacant posts in the Department needed to be filled.

The Acting Chairperson said that both funded and unfunded posts must be filled and negotiations were under way with National Treasury in this regard.

Mr Gololo said that the recommendations should come from observations. He added that there must be fast tracking of payment for capital assets in the Department.

The Acting Chairperson said that more recommendations were needed and she would work with the Committee Secretary to make the necessary corrections and additions.  She moved for adoption with corrections and was supported by Mr Sonto, Mr Gololo and Mr Marias.

The meeting was adjourned.