Every Friday, SAfm’s radio anchor Sakina Kamwendo speaks to Martin Creamer, publishing editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly. Reported here is this Friday’s At the Coalface transcript:

Kamwendo: Anglo American this week made R600-million available to South Africa as funding for exploration.

Creamer: Yes, this was done at the Joburg Indaba. We had the CEO of Anglo American there, Duncan Wanblad, and of course, Anglo is going to now headquarter in Vancouver, in Canada. But what they are trying to emphasise is that their roots in South Africa are so deep and they believe in exploration to such an extent that they are putting forward R600-million for juniors in South Africa to start exploring.

We know that is the key to growth of this mining industry, which has been stunted, because of the lack of exploration. So, hopefully people will get going. We see that the PIC also put forward over a billion rand for exploration and we hope that people take this up, because we are still very well endowed with metals and minerals and we can see other countries streaking ahead, so hopefully South Africa will get moving fast on exploration.

Kamwendo: This week’s Joburg Indaba urged government to help all South Africans by growing the mining sector.

Creamer: This was the Minerals Council president Paul Dunne, who said, when there is mining investment, there is benefit for every single South African. When you want transformation come to the mining industry, just look at the extent to which we have transformed, he remarked. So, he is saying to government, just cut that red tape. Get rid of this regulatory problems that slow down mining investment. Do what so many other countries are doing. We are mining country, but be falling behind other mining countries.

Let us allow people in South Africa to benefit from mining. We know they will. We are already contributors to the GDP at 6% but it could be much bigger. We are the biggest exporters. We bring in the biggest revenue from exports. Mining could be much bigger. So, let this industry grow like you haven't allowed it to grow in the last two decades.

Kamwendo: South Africa’s hot sun and strong wind is going to be used to bring clean electricity to four coal mines.

Creamer: One doesn't associate coal mines with wind energy and sun energy, renewables. This was a fantastic deal done this week by Discovery Green with Glencore and what it is a 20-year agreement where they will bring clean renewable energy to four of the coal mines of Glencore. This will not only decarbonise, but it will also make sure these mines get a cheaper energy base. This is what people are looking at and all over South Africa at the moment, people are talking energy.

We going to need so much energy. Eskom must get going with whatever it can do, but they should allow the private sector as this is happening to come forward as well with much more cleaner energy, with the overall energy mix providing everything we need to get this economy going and this deal with Discovery Green, the 20-year deal with Glencore for four coal mines could be the start. There is a lot more opportunity to do this. Hopefully, South Africa will move forward by also having better electricity transmission networks, getting the transmission going, getting the private sector involved as well in developing our new-era transmission lines.

Kamwendo: Thanks very much. Martin Creamer is publishing, editor of Engineering News & Mining Weekly.