Mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane says he consulted with the top six officials of the ANC about the mining charter, Business Day reported on Wednesday. This comes as opposition to the new mining charter grows, with the ANC calling a meeting with him this week.
However, Zwane reportedly did not turn up for the meeting on Tuesday, where the Chamber of Mines was also present.
On the sidelines of the Black Economic Empowerment Advisory Council workshop in Pretoria on Tuesday, Zwane reportedly said he had consulted "up to its (ANC) top six officials".
But inside sources interviewed by Business Day reportedly expressed shock at the contents of the new mining charter, saying some of these had not been presented to the ANC
The Chamber of Mines reportedly asked the ANC to intervene in the deadlock to avoid a drawn-out court process. The Chamber wants to have the entire charter overturned on judicial review.
According to The Times on Wednesday, it was the Chamber that requested the meeting with the ANC on Tuesday. The ANC delegation was reportedly led by ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe. After the meeting, the chamber reportedly said, "The point was made that legal action against government of this sort is seen only as a matter of last resort and is brought only once all other avenues have failed."
The Times reported that the Chamber's CEO Roger Baxter said:
"The industry remains committed to transformation as a national imperative. We need to continue on the industry's transformation journey that has been going on in earnest since the original charter came into effect more than 13 years ago. But it needs to be based on workable targets and guidelines that enable an effective transformation process proceeding in a competitive and growing industry. As we have previously indicated‚ the DMR charter fails in this respect."