[miningmx.com] — CABINET has appointed Dr. Thibedi Ramontja, the current CEO of the Council for Geoscience, as new Director-General for the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
The announcement was made on Thursday by government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi.
Ramontja is replacing former Mines DG Sandile Nogxina, who stepped down from the position end-June. He is now serving as a special advisor to Mines Minister Susan Shabangu.
Ramontja previously served as a chief director at the DMR and was instrumental in the process which led to the formulation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resouces Development Act (MPRDA).
“You couldn’t have asked for a better DG at this time,” Nogxina commented on Ramontja’s appointment. “He is very familiar with the setup at the department.”
Ramontja would have to step in at a time where the regulatory environment is in a transitionary phase, with both the MPRDA and Mining Charter being up for review. Government is also busy formulating its official policy for mineral beneficiation.
A mining executive told Miningmx Ramontja would be an unfamiliar face to the industry, although he has heard “good things” about Ramontja’s reputation at the Council for Geoscience.
“He will have to do a lot of work to improve how things are done (at the DMR),” the official said. “The whole mineral licence processing system is just not efficient at all.”
DMR spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said Ramontja would assume his duties “as soon as practically possible”.
Bheki Sibiya, CEO of the Chamber of Mines, said Ramontja brought “critical institutional memory” from his role as the erstwhile head of the Gold Crisis Committee Secretariat.
