Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here and hon members, let me state from the outset - in case I run out of time - that the ANC supports this Bill. We believe that the transformation of the South African economy should always be holistic and comprehensive, covering all sectors of the economy. In this regard, we need to ensure greater state involvement and control of strategic sectors of the economy such as mining.
Key to this is the development of a mining sector strategy which must take into account the country's developmental needs. It should also help clarify the state's role in the sector. This will, of course, require consequential amendments of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act in order to support the objectives of our mineral sector strategy.
The Geoscience Act, Act 100 of 1993, was mainly introduced to establish the Council for Geoscience, the purpose of which was to provide for the promotion of research and the extension of knowledge in the field of geoscience.
The purpose of the Geoscience Amendment Bill is, therefore, to extend the mandate of the Council for Geoscience - as the Minister has pointed out here - to enable it to become the custodian of geotechnological information and an advisory authority in respect of geohazards related to infrastructure development.
The Bill further seeks to put mechanisms in place to address problems which are associated with infrastructure development in dolomitic areas. This phenomenon resulted in the development of sinkholes that were initially noticed way back in the 1950s, but the seriousness of the situation was highlighted in the early 1960s when a sinkhole engulfed a three-storey crusher plant at West Driefontein Mine.
In 2007, a three-bedroomed house in Khutsong, near Carletonville, caved in as a result of a sinkhole. This incident led to the relocation of residents from Khutsong to a safer area. It was initially planned that more than 25 000 housing units were to be relocated in three phases, and that such a project would have cost an estimated R3,5 billion. That would have been the cost to the state to relocate these communities!
Other incidents of damage caused by sinkholes include the following: the evacuation and demolition of Bank village in the 1970s; major repairs to the military airport by the Department of Public Works at Waterkloof Air Force Base in 2008; damage to Vosloorus Police Station; the collapse of a house in Hans Strydom Road in Tshwane; severe damage to a Basden Road townhouse in Tshwane in 2008; ongoing repairs that are required by Ekurhuleni Municipality to Kathorus suburbs; and the diversion of the double-lane N14 highway leading into the south side of Tshwane in 2008.
Notwithstanding the above-mentioned details, we are further informed that at least 39 people are known to have died over the past 50 years as a result of sinkhole-related incidents. It has cost people their lives. Research reveals that approximately 20% of Gauteng province, as well as parts of Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West are also underlain by dolomite. So the challenge in these provinces is not only acid mine drainage, but also the sinkholes.
All these above-mentioned serious incidents occurred under the watch of the private sector engineering companies - I think the DA must pay particular attention to this paragraph - upon which the state relied for advice before approving development plans. Through this Bill, therefore, we are also redressing the legacy of apartheid spatial planning, which we are still dealing with as we speak today.
Therefore this Bill empowers the Council for Geoscience to be the custodian of all geotechnical data, with the purpose of compiling a complete geotechnical risk profile of the entire country. The Bill further enables the Council for Geoscience to become the custodian of technical information related to exploration and mining.
There are some concerns that were raised during the process of the public hearings. There have been some concerns with regard to the passage of the Bill and I would like to address the House on the misconceptions that have been raised with these concerns. The first are the functions, powers and the role of the council that have come into question.
The state has the responsibility to ensure that the developmental infrastructure, minerals, land and other activities are in a condition that is best suited to deliver. Evaluation and assessment over a number of years has led to a scientific analysis. In areas of deprivation, the lack of penetration to turn around the material conditions of the people has been affected by market-related considerations that superseded the need and responsibility to address structural poverty.
Existing polices have proven not to be sufficient and, therefore, necessitated intervention. We cannot continue with a situation where development takes place under risky circumstances and the state, ultimately, has to then deal with the fallout of risky business ventures.
The second concern is that of the powers of the Minister. This is normally rolled out when it comes to amending Bills. In order to implement policies dictated to them through legislation, the executive requires the powers. The responsibility of the legislature, therefore, is to ensure oversight over those powers that the executive has.
We should not try to weaken these powers to the extent that the implementation of the policy becomes unworkable and also, because of broad flexibility, the policy implementation becomes ineffective and does not address the concerns that gave rise to it in the first place.
In this regard, the only semblance of powers conferred on the Minister by this Bill is in section 23(7) where it is stated that -
The Minister may issue a directive to authorise council officials to enter any land within the borders of the Republic of South Africa in order to execute the council's mandate, save where there is prohibition under any other law.
Even with this light amendment, the portfolio committee has included subsection 8 that provides for notification and consultation with the landowner and/or lawful occupier. Therefore this power, weak as it is, should be contained in the Bill.
Thirdly, there have been concerns that the council will have oversight over professional ethics. The principal intention of the Bill is to ensure ecological development and meeting socioeconomic needs, especially in poor communities. At the same time it cannot close its eyes to conduct in the exploration field that lacks professional ethics and therefore will intervene only when it's necessary.
Responding to some sectoral demands that were made during the public hearings, the amending Bill must ensure that the Council for Geoscience is well equipped and in a position to contribute to safety both at a residential level, especially in poor, working-class communities, and at the industrial base.
The Council for Geoscience must, therefore, be in a position to work with related stakeholders to develop technologies that can detect and give early signals of dangers. This would save many lives, especially in our mining industry.
The amending Bill will ensure that the council has a role to play in ensuring safety in the mines by mandating the mining industry to develop systems that would assist to detect, for example, seismic activities in the mines - as has been alluded to by the Minister. For this to happen, there needs to be improved co-ordination between the Council for Geoscience, the Mine Health and Safety Council and Mintek. This would ensure safety in mines, strengthen government functions to explore minerals and ensure information technology development.
The mining industry has been and remains a critical sector in our economy. Its transformation, therefore, is vital for our national sociopolitical objectives. The development of the Mining Charter in 2002 was informed by transformation considerations that were consistent with the evolution of the political landscape in the country. Accordingly, we recognise that the development of the country's mineral complex presents opportunities to expand related industries that supply material or services for mining to be effective.
To this extent, we have strengthened the notion of local content to support local industries consistent with the government's drive for local industrialisation, creation of decent jobs and poverty alleviation. I thank you very much. [Time expired.]