[miningmx.com] — THE Democratic Alliance called on Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu on Wednesday to bar employees of her department from joining private mining companies immediately after leaving government.
DA spokesperson Piet Pretorius said Shabangu confirmed in a recent written reply to a parliamentary question that no regulations were in place to prevent former mineral resources officials going to work for mining houses.
“This loophole raises questions about the ability of employees of the mineral resources department to use the influence afforded by their positions for personal gain.”
Pretorius said if Shabangu failed to introduce a ban, he would refer the matter to Parliament’s watchdog Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
He said the DA was not aware of any instance where former mineral resources employees went to work for companies to whom they had awarded prospecting rights, but a “cooling off period” should be introduced as a preventative measure.
