BY KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

The Portfolio Committee on Tourism and Rural Environment and Agricultural Development will be conducting pre-public Hearing Stakeholder Workshop on the MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT BILL [B15D – 2013] from the 03 – 10 April 2017 in the Rustenburg Local Municipality.

North West Provincial Legislature spokesperson, Namhla Luhabe said: “The bill aims to amend the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002, as amended by the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2008 (Act No.49 of 2008).

“So, as to remove ambiguities that exist within the Act, to provide for the regulation of associated minerals, partitioning of rights and enhance provisions relating to the regulation of the mining industry through beneficiation of minerals or mineral products, to promote national energy security, to streamline administrative processes, to align the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act with the Geoscience Act, 1993 (Act No. 100 of 1993), as amended by the Geoscience Amendment Act, 2010 (Act No. 16 of 2010),”  Luhabe said.

She further said the workshop will to provide for enhanced sanctions, to improve the regulatory system and to provide for matters connected therewith. Luhabe added that the Committee is conducting workshops on the bill with communities in mining areas to solicit impressions on the Bill and to inform them on how the Bill affects them, as well as get valuable inputs from these affected communities.

The Workshops are scheduled as follows (four areas per day):

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