With reference to the informal settlement on Main Reef Road, in Brakpan, Gauteng, known as Plastic City what:
a) steps are being taken by his department to seal off the old and inactive mines in the area, considering that it has become a hotbed of illegal mining and associated criminal activities,
b) steps are being taken (i) to protect critical infrastructure from illegal mining in this area and (ii) jointly by his department and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to ensure that mineral rights and environmental legislation obligations are being met; and
c) steps will his department be taking in future to stop illegal mining in the area? NW185E
a) The department has sealed three shafts in and around Plastic City informal settlement in 2019.
b) Through the Department’s continuous monitoring and evaluation initiatives, it has been made aware that illegal miners have mined under some roads, causing it to collapse. To this end, the Department with the assistance of MINTEK is investigating this issue further. Furthermore, the SAPS together with Ekurhuleni Municipality ...
Whether, with reference to a celebrated settlement agreement more than two years ago after the landmark class-action suit against nine gold mining companies that were ordered to compensate miners who suffered from insidious respiratory diseases like silicosis, he intends to intervene to ensure that the miners who still have not been paid out are paid out; if not, why not; if so, what are the full details outlining time lines? NW645E
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy is responsible for the regulation of the mining industry through the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), No 29 of 1996. The Department of Health (DoH) governs the compensation of the mine employees diagnosed with Occupational Lung Diseases through Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODMWA) 78 OF 1973 regulated by the ...
In light of the discovery of a second major gas find off the coast of South Africa that has put the Republic on the global energy map with even more discoveries expected in the future, how does his department intend to ensure that (a) it takes full advantage of the discovery and (b) the gas finds will be a significant boost for energy production in the Republic?
a) The department is finalising the Upstream Petroleum Bill to further augment the regulations governing the oil and gas sector.
b) As per the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019), South Africa continues to pursue a diversified energy mix that reduces reliance on a single or a few primary energy sources. Natural Gas forms part of the country’s energy mix.
What steps has his department taken to address the complaints of the Clewer Community in the eMalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, as submitted to his department on 1 August 2020, with regard to the blasting operations and dust at the Anglo American Khwezela Colliery which causes cracks in houses in Clewer? NW34E
The Department investigated the complaints. The outcomes of the investigation were that Khwezela Colliery air blast and ground vibration exceeded the limits of 125dB and 5mm per second, respectively.
The Department issued Khwezela colliery with instruction to comply with the air blast limit of 115 dB and ground vibration limit 5 mm per second. Secondly, colliery was instructed to conduct a follow ...
What (a) proportion of persons employed by his department fall under the category of (i) women, (ii) youth and (iii) persons with disabilities, (b) provisions are made by his department to ensure employment equity, especially of persons with disabilities and (c) is the name of each entity reporting to him that has not complied with the provisions of employment equity with regard to the employment of persons with disabilities?
(a) (i) 55.23% women,
(ii) 20.11% youth,
(iii) 0.94% persons with disabilities,
(b) The Department has made the following provisions to ensure employment equity, especially of persons with disabilities:
- Employed a dedicated focal point responsible for Gender, Disability Transformation and one for Youth,
- In the process of appointing the Employment Equity Committee for the newly established Department of Mineral Resources and Energy,
- In the ...
(a) What are the reasons that his department has not ensured that when municipalities, especially in poor and rural municipalities, enter into contracts with independent power producers, one of the requirements is to provide free electricity for the indigent, (b) how will his department ensure that service providers provide free electricity for the indigent and (c) by what date will this be remedied?
a) It is government policy to provide free basic electricity to the indigent through licensed electricity distributors (Eskom and Municipalities). The free basic electricity provision is independent of the source of generation of the electricity (Eskom or IPPs).
b) See response to (a.) above.
c) See response to (a.) above.
1) Whether, with reference to his reply to question 1709 on 27 August 2020, he will furnish Mr G R Krumbock with copies of the Standards of Service (NRS 047) and Quality (NRS 048); if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, on what date;
2) on what date did the City of Ekurhuleni last submit their maintenance schedules; and
3) whether he will furnishMr G R Krumbock with a copy of the maintenance schedules of the City of Ekurhuleni; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, on what date? NW2809E
1. Yes, the NRS 047 and the relevant NRS 048 specifications are attached.
2. In terms of the license condition 5.4.1 the Energy Regulator is entitled to collect information such as the maintenance plans of the licensee, the process of collecting and examining such information is always undertaken during the annual compliance audits that the Regulator conducts on selected licensees each year. The City ...
(1) With reference to borrow pits being required to meet certain statutory requirements, (a) what pre-planning and licensing requirements exist where borrow pits are being mined on land belonging to a traditional authority, (b) how does this differ from borrow pits on state-owned land, (c) who is responsible for monitoring compliance of borrow pits, (d) what measures are taken against the company responsible for the borrow pit where there is material non-compliance and (e) what measures should be taken against the company by the family of the injured and/or deceased where there is injury and/or loss of life as a result of a borrow pit that does not comply;
a) The requirements as it relates to borrow pits are not informed by the nature of ownership of the land over which they are to be undertaken, but the distinction revolves around the entity that intends to undertake such borrow pit activities. The distinction is in the following manner.;If a natural person or an entity that intends to undertake the borrow pit activities does ...
(1) Whether any environmental audit and/or inspection has been conducted by his department and/or any other relevant government entity at the Astron refinery in Milnerton in the past nine months before and/or after the explosion on 2 July 2020 that caused the loss of two lives; if not, why not; if so, what (a) were the findings of the audit and/or inspection in each case and (b) actions have been taken based on the findings of the audit and/or inspection;
(2) whether the refinery is still compliant with its licensing conditions; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
1. The Department of Mineral, Resources and Energy does not conduct any environmental audits, as these fall under different departments.
2. The refinery is not operational at the moment, however in terms of the Petroleum Products Act, the refinery was compliant prior to the incident.
(1) For each storage facility owned, leased and/or operated by the Strategic Fuel Fund, (a) on what date was the last (i) maintenance and (ii) refurbishment undertaken on the storage tanks and (b) what was the cost of such maintenance and/or refurbishment in each case;
(2) (a) on what date was each specified facility last audited for environmental compliance and (b) what were the findings of the last environmental audit in each case;
(3) whether there are any indications of seepage into the ground and/or the groundwater table; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the seepage?
1. Saldanha Terminal
(1) For each storage facility owned, leased and/or operated by the Strategic Fuel Fund, (a) on what date was the last (i) maintenance and (ii) refurbishment undertaken on the storage tanks and (b) what was the cost of such maintenance and/or refurbishment in each case;
- Saldanha Terminal is made of Concrete Underground Closed tanks which do not require maintenance or refurbishments on ...
