Shabangu says Amplats issue will be 'resolved'

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"I am happy and satisfied that we are talking to Amplats and it is going to yield positive results," Shabangu told reporters after opening the Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

"We understand the pain faced by the platinum sector; we are part of it as government, as a country and we need to find lasting solutions among ourselves.It is not their problem, it is our problem as a whole and we have to share that," she said.

Last week, Shabangu described Amplats as a "child" that was brought back into line after putting plans in place to retrench 14,000 workers. These have now been delayed while talks between the company, labour representatives and government continue.

Last month, the minister warned the mining company that it was putting its mining licence at risk and accused it of arrogance for not including government in its plans.

Asked about these remarks, Shabangu replied: "It was not controversial. It was a factual statement and reflects a challenge when you realise the tension between partners or between stakeholders.

"What happened during the Amplats issue was that it shows that there was a breakdown, which we have acknowledged, but it is also an issue of saying, how do we reposition and have mutual trust and understanding among stakeholders?"

Shabangu said government was looking into ways to ensure that South Africa remained a "destination of choice" for mining companies, including those in the platinum industry.

In response to a question about taxation, Shabangu said she believed that South Africa's mining taxes were competitive and added that plans to review the mining tax regime were "normal" as taxes formed part of the state's revenue base. She reiterated that government would act in a responsible manner.

Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge