Relying on High Court’s empowerment guidance may be folly
WHEN the Mineral and Petroleum Resource Deveopment Act (MPRDA) came into force in 2002, existing mining companies were compelled to sell 26% equity to...
Cash rich companies ought to rethink their return strategies
I LIKE cash and I like companies that have cash. But what if they have too much? In other words: a lazy balance sheet. Now...
Asset valuation disputes rarely best settled through legal means
LEGAL disputes over the value of mineral projects and mining companies are difficult to win conclusively, suggesting that a new approach in contracts is...
SA mining cannot keep relying on courts to regulate industry
THE recent judgment in the court case between the Chamber of Mines and the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) over the once-empowered, always-empowered principle...
Mantashe looms large over first – positive – Charter meeting
THE first report back from the stakeholders negotiating the Mining Charter is due on April 10 so it's probably worth setting down some preliminary...
Mining Charter needs realistic targets and timelines: Chabana
LAST weekend’s talks on the Mining Charter, initiated by Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, were quite robust.
That should be no surprise to anyone.
Our industry...
Temptation to draw on retirement leaves mine employees wanting
AS a trustee of one of the country’s major mining retirement funds, and as a trade union official who is often involved in retrenchment...
How job losses, fatalities and illegal mining are a vicious cycle
WHEN it comes to mining statistics of a negative nature they relate in the first place to the 82 mining deaths that occurred in...
Pace of change in world’s mining sector likely to accelerate
THE pace of change in the global mining and metals space has accelerated. We used to talk about trends whereas now it’s about volatility....
Repairing weak leadership crucial in saving SA’s mining sector
IN a New Year’s message, Chamber of Mines CEO, Roger Baxter, said the Chamber had made progress in the battle against corruption and unethical...