"JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – While the South African mining sector waits with bated breath for the President’s verdict on the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Amendment Bill, approved by the National Assembly on March 12, a few stakeholders in the sector say that more amendments are required for the Bill to holistically benefit the South African mining sector.
Despite Parliamentary approval of the Bill, concerns remain about government’s 20% free-carry interest in all new exploration and production rights in the oil and gas sector. Stakeholders have also been vocal about the National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP’s) failure to facilitate public involvement while approving the Bill.
On April 2, the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) submitted a letter to the President on behalf of its clients – Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) and the Land Access Movement of South Africa (Lamosa). The letter argued that the MPRDA Amendment Bill, as passed by Parliament, restricts community participation in mining and the requirement for public participation in the granting of mining rights, and it eliminates the requirement that the socioeconomic conditions of host communities be addressed." continues
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