COSATU North West not surprised by the stance of the DMRE Minister

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West province is not surprised by the stance and actions of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) Minister Gwede Samson Mantashe, when he refuses to go to the site where it is alleged illegal mining taking place.

The Minister dubbed the activities as purely criminal, only be attended to by the law enforcement officials.

This stance is not surprising, and it confirms that as a country we are deteriorating into a police state, where the leaders are willing to unleash the police and the military without first hearing the other side of the story.

We are also not surprised because the DMRE is suspect number one in the crime taking place because it has failed to transform and regulate the mining industry as required by the law.

We have observed with disappointment that the DMRE is only interested in mines that are still operational, and they have shown little interest in making sure that land where mining previously took place can be used for other purposes post mining.

COSATU North West calls on Minister Mantashe to step up to his responsibilities as per the law and make sure that all mining companies comply with legislation and meet their obligations during active mining and post mining.

Issued by COSATU North West

For more information feel free to contact the Provincial Secretary of COSATU North West Kopano Konopi @ 082 339 5836