During one of the world’s greatest commodity cycles, South Africa’s mining industry stagnated and mineworkers and the country paid a high price for the enrichment of a couple of mining magnates and their BEE comrades, Adv. Anton Alberts, the FF Plus’ parliamentary spokesperson on Minerals, said.
Adv. Alberts said today during the budget vote debate of the Department of Mineral Resources that the ANC has plundered the country’s mineral wealth under the guise of transformation, and productivity became incidental.
He said politics in South Africa has a way of never disappointing a person. Just when one thinks it cannot get worse, out of the blue a new shock involving a minister or senior ANC member or some kind of ANC family connection, appears.
“This is, of course, the nature of the story of mining in our country. The wealthy become wealthier, without adding value, except that they gain new friends who can open doors. The poor become poorer.
“The department is plagued by scandals and the biggest of these, is the secretive manner in which the Guptas’ ICT Company acquired an interest in the mining rights of Kumba’s Sishen mine. Fortunately, the Constitutional Court ruled against the Guptas in this case.
“Just when one thinks everything that can be said about the Guptas has been said, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane, steps up to bat for the Guptas. This time, not with a mysterious issuing of one or two mining licences, but by accompanying the Guptas to Switzerland to convince a mining company there to sell the mine to the family.
“I must say, it is an excellent service of the ANC. The opposition will certainly never again be able to complain that the government is not serious about issues. Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that people just south of the Swiss border in Italy will experience. Typical of where the Guptas love to operate.
“This, of course, brings me to the operational part of the family business. The Guptas, as foreigners, do not qualify for BEE status, but the state’s business system functions so well that one is pure and simply given an empowerment partner. Not just anybody, but a person with real influence; the president’s son, no less! And lo and behold, suddenly you are empowered.
“Moreover, the investment package just gets better. According to the minister’s empowerment proposals you will be able to sell all your shares at a wonderful profit, and then you can again apply to be empowered and in this way again acquire shares and rights for a trifle, merely because you are a Gupta, and your partners are high-level black ANC connections.
“I would like the minister one single question: I want to buy a mine in South Africa, but the seller still has to be convinced. Would the minister please accompany me to Lichtenstein to twist the arm of the owner a bit? It is for a good cause, as it will be creating jobs. Or am I not Gupta enough?” Adv. Alberts asked.
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