Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers and hon members, I greet you all.
The ANC has played a leading role in shaping global debates on environmental justice. This includes our participation in the Rio Earth Summit, followed by South Africa's hosting of the World Summit for Sustainable Development in 2002.
At these historic forums the ANC has consistently championed a progressive response to the environmental dimensions of the development challenges facing Africa and the countries of the South.
In the light of all of this, the ANC continues to provide leadership on environmental issues, which includes working with progressive forces to ensure that environmental matters continue to receive the prominence that they deserve.
At its 53rd national conference in December 2012, the ANC resolved that government had to implement economic policy programmes that would move the country on a more sustainable development path in order to create new, green and environmentally friendly jobs; and to adapt to, manage and limit potentially damaging climate-change impacts through interventions that build and sustain socioeconomic and environmental resilience.
There could and should be a positive relationship between economic growth and the environment. When I speak of economic growth and the environment in terms of today's debate, I am referring to growth that is supported by South Africa's mining industry.
Sustainability is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development is, therefore, typically supported by three pillars, namely economic growth, environmental protection and social progress.
Today we are addressing a challenge with regard to the environmental aspects of mining, which has resisted a broadly acceptable and lasting solution for more than a decade. These include the environmental aspects of exploration, prospecting, mining and production activities - encapsulated as mining activities - that were previously excluded from the scope of the National Environmental Management Act and were regulated in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act.
However, activities relating to mining were identified as requiring environmental authorisation under the National Environmental Management Act. As both laws had their own processes and information requirements, it led to a lack of integration in the mining sector.
Because of the need to strengthen institutional arrangements and planning methods for the management of environmental matters as they relate to mining activities, co-ordination and co-operation between the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs have become evident.
In 2010, the Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Meaningful Transformation of South Africa's Mining Industry was adopted. The strategy identified, amongst other things, a fragmented licensing mechanism as one of the key binding constraints to the global competitiveness of the industry.
It became clear that amendments to the existing legislation were required. This led, in 2013, to an agreement being reached between the departments which introduced a more integrated manner of dealing with the challenges.
One of the important outcomes of this agreement is that the Minister responsible for mineral resources, the Minister responsible for water and the Minister responsible for the environment - fortunately water and environmental matters fall under one Minister - agreed on fixed timeframes for the consideration and issuing of environmental authorization, in terms of their respective legislation, and also agreed to synchronise the timeframes.
The environment management programme must contain measures regulating responsibilities for any environmental damage, pollution, pumping and treatment of polluted or extraneous water or ecological degradation which may occur inside and outside of the boundaries of the operations in question.
The ANC advocates co-operation and co-ordination of efforts to bring about an environment of sustainable development supported by the three pillars, namely economic growth in the mining sector, environmental protection and social progress.
Before I close, let me answer a question which is always raised at this podium. Hon Rodgers always points a finger at our Minister as someone who is not responsible and does not come to our committee meetings.
That is not true, because the Minister always avails herself when requested by the portfolio committee to do so or when she wants to share something with us. The Minister, in fact, is not a difficult person to work with and I must thank her for that. [Applause.]
Let me also thank the Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms Shabangu, for the good working relationship that she has demonstrated to us as members of the portfolio committee. Hon Minister, thank you for being available to this portfolio committee and giving your support to its work of drafting this piece of legislation that will assist this country.
Abantu bekhethu abahlala eSecunda, nalabo abahlala eBethal, nanyana kungabakhona ukusilaphazeka kwamanzi namkha kommoya bazakuhlala bavikelekile ngebanga loMthethomlingwa lo. Ngiyathokoza kwamambala! [Ukuwahla.] (Translation of isiNdebele paragraph follows.)
[Our people who reside in Secunda and those who reside in Bethal, even if there is water and air pollution, will always be protected as a result of this Constitution. Thank you very much! [Applause.]]