Gwede Mantashe Says Transformation In Mining Is About Inclusion, Not Tokenism

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has urged the mining industry to embrace transformation policies without apology. Speaking on Friday during an engagement with mining leaders, Mantashe stressed that transformation is not about “replacing white faces with black faces” but about creating real opportunities for historically disadvantaged South Africans.

“In your vocabulary, there was never apartheid; apartheid was never a problem, and in your vocabulary, colleagues, your problem is the ANC. We’re saying that cannot be factual,” he said.

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Mantashe highlighted how policies like Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) have enabled black South Africans to own and manage coal mines—something once unimaginable. However, he cautioned that transformation must go deeper than surface-level representation.

“Too often, transformation is treated as a box-ticking exercise – changing faces in boardrooms without changing the fundamental structure of ownership,” he said.

Meaningful Change Requires Skills Transfer and Empowerment

Mantashe emphasised that transformation should lead to genuine participation in the economy, rather than symbolic changes.

“Beneficiaries of change – young people – sometimes don’t appreciate it. They think it’s luck and they’re clever, and that’s why they’re executives. They’re not executives because they’re clever, but because policy has changed and accommodated them,” he said.

He added that true transformation means ensuring skills transfer, empowerment, and inclusion:

“Transformation is not about replacing white faces with black faces. It is about changing the attitude and modus operandi of the economy. It is about ensuring meaningful inclusion, skills transfer, empowerment and genuine opportunities for historically disadvantaged South Africans.”

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Gwede Mantashe Says Illegal Mining Drains Billions from South Africa’s Economy

Alongside transformation, Mantashe warned that illegal mining remains one of the most pressing threats to South Africa’s mining sector. In 2024 alone, illegal mining drained an estimated R60 billion from the economy.

“That is revenue stolen from our fiscus, thus undermining government authority, robbing our people of jobs and threatening national security,” Mantashe said.

Since the launch of Operation Vala Umgodi in December 2023, police have arrested more than 27 000 suspects and confiscated over 600 firearms and 16 000 rounds of ammunition.

Despite these efforts, Mantashe admitted illegal mining persists and requires a broader approach:

“This means that law enforcement alone is not enough. We need industry collaboration, tighter controls in the value chain, stronger regional cooperation and the courage to close loopholes that allow stolen minerals to enter the market.”

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To address this, the draft Mineral Resources Development Bill seeks to strengthen laws by prohibiting illegal mining and tightening regulations around mineral transportation. The bill also aims to distinguish between illegal mining — a criminal act — and artisanal or small-scale mining, which can contribute legitimately to the economy.

“Let us be clear that those who enter our country illegally and engage in unlawful mining can’t be legitimised through licensing,” Mantashe concluded.

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