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The Department and the Ministry of Mineral and Energy Affairs are together involved in wide-ranging projects and initiatives, details of which follow.

MAJOR POLICY INITIATIVES

A.1 MINING and MINERALS POLICY

The Department first issued a set of Mining and Minerals Policy Principles in December 1994. On 24 April 1995, a major stakeholders' meeting to discuss a mining and minerals policy process appointed a Working Group which reconciled Government, Labour and Industry views as to how to proceed. On 29 September 1995 a public meeting, or Summit, approved its recommendations. A Steering Committee was appointed and first met on 17 October 1995. Less than a month later, on 15 November, 1995, it released a Discussion Document on Mining and Minerals Policy for stakeholders and public comment. After extensive discussions with stakeholders and others, the Steering Committee is due to meet tomorrow, Tuesday 20 August 1996, when hope fully the final "thorny" issues will be settled.

Once this has been done, the Green Paper will immediately be printed and distributed, a process which should take 2-3 weeks. The Green paper should be available to the public and media by the end of next month. It will be subjected to public comments and hearings in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Energy Affairs. The objective is to publish a White paper before the end of this year. The process to achieve it is on track.

A.2 ENERGY POLICY

The Department, supported by the Energy for Development Research Centre of the University of Cape Town and the Minerals and Energy Police Centre drew up a South African Energy Policy Discussion Document setting out policy options to stimulate debate. Interested parties made submissions. A fully democratised evaluation and consultation programme is in progress towards a draft White Paper which should be published by the end of September 1996. The finalisation of the White Paper and its entry into the political process - Cabinet, Parliamentary Committee etc. - is due to take place during the first half of 1997. This process, too, is firmly on track.

OTHER KEY DEVELOPMENTS

B.1 MINING and MINERALS

B.1.1 Continuous Mining
The prospect of introducing continuous mining is awaiting the outcome of the Policy Process. This issue needs to be agreed on as between management and labour before government will act.

B.1.2 Small Mining
The Departmental Committee on Small Mining, designed to encourage and assist small scale miners, is active. Its members are Departmental officials from the Mining Economics and Legal Sections as well as from the Regional office and includes experts from the Council for Geo-science. The Small-scale Mining Component to be set up in terms of the new structure of the Department should be operating by September 1996.

B.1.3 Mine Health and Safety
Drafting of Regulations: An extensive and comprehensive regulations-drafting exercise is underway. In total, this process is due to take about a year, with the more urgent regulations being ready for promulgation by the end of September 1996. The existing health and safety regulations under the Minerals Act need redrafting and transferral to the Mine Health and Safety Act. Regulations are also required on: machinery, occupational hygiene, ventilation, dust control, ergonomics, gas control, transport/ tramming, explosion control in coal mines and codes of practice guidelines.

The Remuneration of the Mine Inspectorate: The Leon Commission recommended that the Mine Inspectorate be remunerated competitively so that there could be an effective and professional mine health and safety Inspectorate, not vulnerable to the predations of the private sector. This is at present being investigated by Presidential Adviser Nick Haysom.

The Onus of Proof section of the Mine Health and Safety Act: Labour and the Chamber of Mines are still negotiating on the text of the clause in the Act which determines the culpability of owners and managers for accidents which occur on their mining premises.

The Mine Inspectorate Trainee Scheme: This is a scheme in terms of which 50 mining inspector trainers are embarked on a three-year course. The intention is to strengthen the Mining Inspectorate and at the same time to make it more representative. A successful report-back meeting was held with the Minister and Minister Skweyiya on the second of this month.

The implementation of the Mine Health and Safety Act: (See also C.3 below) The Act uses the Commission for Conciliation, Resolution and Arbitration, created by the Labour Relations Act, as its own conflict resolution mechanism. This means that the Mine Health and Safety Act is unable to be implemented until the Labour Relations Act comes into force.

B.1.4 Mining and the Environment
Blesbokspruit: This is the situation where the water pumped from mines in the area is so full of salts and acids in solution that it threatens the well-being of an internationally recognised wetland as well as viability of downstream irrigation activities. Yet banning the pumping of water would force several mines to close and throw thousands out of work. The main responsibility for resolving this difficult dilemma this rests with the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry.

The Madimbo Corridor: A company, Duo Corporate Developers, has been granted the right to prospect in 8 000 hectares of the 30 000 hectare Madimbo Corridor adjacent to the Kruger Park and the Limpopo River. The ideal would be for this to be done so as to reconcile the ecology and the local population's strong need for employment. The National Parks Board has recently lodged a Minerals Act appeal to the Director General against the Department's decision. The situation is therefore under review.

B.1.5 The Diamond Sector
Ultra-deep diamond prospecting, now possible through improved technology, has been allowed to take place off the West Coast.

In view of the industry's decline over the last five years and other problems in the sector, a Commission of Enquiry into all aspects of the diamond industry is being set up. Mr Justice Levy has been appointed Chairman and suitable assessors are now being considered.

The reconstitution of the Diamond Board is also being looked at.

B.1.6 Liaison with the Provinces
1. Despite Mineral and Energy Affairs not falling under the provinces in terms of Schedule Six of the constitution, a process of co-operation with the provinces is underway. Joint Committees have been established in each Province to facilitate Departmental-Provincial co-operation. 2. The Minerals Bureau (a branch of the Department which provides a mineral-economic information service to government, industry and public) has compiled a mineral potential report for each Province. 3. The Council for Geo-science continues to provide provincial planners with basic geological data.

B.1.7 Regional and International
The first Draft of a SADC Mining Protocol has been circulated to members. It is hoped that 1997 will see it able to be presented to the 1997 Heads of State Summit.

The Council for Geo-science is assisting SADC in setting up a SADC Mining Sector Home Page on the Internet. It will link up with the date bank of the Finance and Investment Co-ordinating Unit of the Department of Finance and the South African Reserve Bank, on macro-economic, finance and investment information.

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