Leaders of major African mining economies have addressed the audience of government representatives, investors, mining companies, the media, NGOs and others at the African Minign Indaba, being held from 4-7 February 2019 in Cape Town
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised the importance of collaboration. He said, “This Indaba offers us a valuable opportunity to engage with investors from across the globe seeking opportunities for new and further investment in the mining industry on our continent. It is important that investors are here to create value for shareholders and become partners on a journey of inclusive development.”
“The days of conflict between the industry and government, between industry and labour and communities should belong to the past. There must be more collaboration, co-operation, consensus building and working together,” he added.
“We need to use this platform provided by Mining Indaba to strengthen our collaborative efforts aimed at regional integration, as government plays its role in creating an environment in which mining thrives for the benefit of all its people,” he further added.
Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, also reflected on the need for collaboration to create shared and inclusive value for all stakeholders.
“Mining is a necessity, not just an indulgence. We must strike deals that are fair to both sides. Negotiations between companies and governments should be transparent, and accessible and easily understandable by citizens. We know that the extractive sector can be the champion of economic growth on the continent – it has great potential for job creation and can form the basis for transformation,” Akufo-Addo commented.
“In Ghana, we hope to establish an equitable balance between our needs and the needs of the investor community, it is time for the mineral sector to produce a win-win situation for all stakeholders,” he concluded.
