The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, on May 31, unanimously voted to adopt the amended African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research (AFRA) as presented by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

Although South Africa has been a signatory to the AFRA since its inception in 1990, the agreement has been amended to include two aspects, including that it remain in force indefinitely and to make provision for withdrawal.

AFRA seeks to promote cooperation in the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology for socioeconomic development among the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member States in Africa.

The portfolio committee notes that South Africa’s benefit from the agreement includes, among other factors, technical cooperation to use the available regional expertise and existing facilities for planning and implementation of cooperative programmes under human health, food and agriculture, energy, environment, water management and industrial applications.

Paragraph two of Article XIV of the agreement gives a member State an opportunity to withdraw from the agreement through a written notification to the IAEA director-general, which will take effect after six months of receipt of such withdrawal notification.

The amended agreement is classified as Section 231(2) of the Constitution, thereby requiring ratification from Parliament.

MINING INVESTMENT
Meanwhile, the committee has tasked both Parliamentary legal service and research to prepare a comprehensive presentation on how it should attend to two issues that could potentially affect investment in the mining sector.

These are Glencore’s agreement to pay $1.19-billion in fines in relation to corruption allegations and the recent arrest of DMRE former deputy director-general Joel Raphela in connection with allegations of fraud and money laundering of mining rehabilitation funds earmarked for the Optimum and Koornfontein coal mines.

The committee took keen interest on both issues owing to Glencore having South African operations, whereas Raphela is accused of crimes committed in the department that is accountable to the committee.

“We need a comprehensive presentation in order to come to terms with the depth of these issues, considering that they emerged at the back of the State capture revelations,” says committee chairperson Sahlulele Luzipo.

Glencore South Africa, meanwhile, in a separate statement assured stakeholders that none of its operations or employees were under investigation for misconduct following the settlement between the Glencore group and the US, the UK and Brazil.

Further, the committee has resolved to ask the DMRE to brief it on the status of mining rehabilitation funds during the third quarter.