S. African gov't vows to provide stable environment for mining industry

The South African government is "leaving no stone unturned" in providing a stable environment for the mining industry, Minister of Mineral Resources Ngoako Ramatlhodi said Tuesday.

Given the centrality of mining to the country's economy, the government has established a forum during which people from his ministry, the mining industry and labor are engaged in discussions to resolve challenges, Ramatlhodi told delegates attending the annual Investing in African Mining Conference taking place in Cape Town.

The forum, named Mining, Growth, Development and Employment Task Team, deals with economic participation for employees and communities, human resource development, mining workers' health and safety.

"I wish to emphasize my intention to provide regulatory certainty in order to assure those who have invested here and those still considering to do so," the minister said.

"We are witnessing difficult time for the mining industry characterized by decreasing commodity prices, perhaps unprecedented in some respects," he said, adding that the gloomy environment is bound to colour the discussions of this year's mining conference.

The Investing in African Mining Conference is currently the world's largest mining investment event. For two decades, the conference has served as the pathway for foreign investments into Africa's mining value chain, with opportunities ranging from small diamond deposits to large coal projects.

Each year, the conference brings more than 7,000 delegates from 110 countries across six continents for one week of unparalleled deal making and discovery in African mining. Endi