The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Council for Geoscience (CGS), Mr Mosa Mabuza, on Tuesday strongly criticised the misalignment of government policies on economic development, saying this practice has the potential to slow down mineral development.

Mr Mabuza said in its quest to grow the economy and reduce unemployment, government on one hand has the Department of Mineral Resources, which grants mining and exploration permits, but on the other hand the Department of Environmental Affairs, which protects land to prevent developmental activities from taking place.

South Africa is still rich with untapped mineral resources, which could end up not being developed, considering the rate at which portions of the land, rich with minerals, get to be protected without consultation with the CGS. One other example is the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project in the Northern Cape under the custodianship of the Department of Science and Technology, said Mr Mabuza.

He emphasised that one of the requirements regarding the commissioning of the SKA project was that no mining activity should take place within a specified radius of the satellite equipment. He claimed that the SKA project was commissioned at the expense of mineral development in the Northern Cape.

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources, led by Chairperson Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, resolved to arrange a meeting with sister committees to discuss the concerns raised by the CGS, including the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs, the Portfolio Committee on Science and Technology, as well as the Portfolio Committee on Energy.

The Council for Geoscience is a state-owned entity under the Department of Mineral Resource. It is one of the National Science Councils of South Africa and is the legal successor of the Geological Survey of South Africa, which was formed in 1912 by the amalgamation of three former surveys, the oldest of which � the Geological Commission of the Cape of Good Hope � was founded in 1895.

The Geoscience Act, Act No. 100 of 1993, established the CGS in its present form. Today, the CGS is a modern institution, boasting excellent facilities and expertise and ranking among the best in Africa.

The Committee has embarked on a week-long oversight visit in Gauteng, visiting the department as well as its entities.

Source: Parliament of the Republic of South Africa