Madam Deputy Speaker, there are too many allegations made against the Department of Mineral Resources in respect of the allocation of mineral rights to Imperial Crown Trading and others. The fact that Imperial Crown Trading has no known capacity whatsoever to mine iron ore adds to the public's suspicion that this was a political deal with key people. What Cope has identified as far as a relationship with those in political office, including the highest office in the land, is concerned is that once the deal was done, Imperial Crown Trading, ICT, was in a hurry to cash in on the rights and bank the fortune - Thanks to the ANC, which turned a blind eye.
No wonder that workers who risk their lives and limb daily to bring the iron ore to the surface are so incensed, as of course is the rest of South Africa. ICT openly admits that this was money for jam.
It should be noted that family members of the President have registered nearly a hundred companies since Polokwane. Clearly, this was a turning point for personal fortunes. Is this what the Department of Mineral Resources is set up for? If such information is classified in the near future, we will never know how the country is being looted even further. Clearly, this is the animal farm type of a better life for all and we can do more.
We demand a full inquiry into: firstly, why the Department of Mineral Resources awarded the rights to ICT in the first place; and secondly, why it took no measures to stop the rights being sold immediately after. [Time expired.] [Applause.]