By: Chamber of Mines

The Chamber of Mines advises that, following an approach by legal counsel representing Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane, the Chamber has reached an agreement with him through his legal counsel in respect of the Chamber’s urgent interdict to prevent the implementation of the Reviewed Mining Charter, as published by the DMR on 15 June 2017. In terms of the agreement, the Minister of Mineral Resources has given a written undertaking that the Reviewed Mining Charter will not be implemented until judgment has been handed down in respect of the Chamber’s review application, which has rendered the granting of an interdict by the court not necessary at this stage. The Minister has also undertaken that if he makes any reference in public to the Reviewed Mining Charter, he will simultaneously make reference to his written undertaking and that the Chamber has brought review proceedings to set aside the Charter.

In the interests of expediting the review process, which is the industry’s primary focus, the Chamber has agreed that the matter be heard on 13 and 14 December 2017 by a full bench of judges. The Minister’s written undertaking will be presented to the High Court of Gauteng (Pretoria) on 14 September 2017 for noting.