part of no part

Greetings, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Minster Shabangu and Chairman Gona We write this open letter to you in response to the government’s intervention in the mining sector and the release of a Draft Framework Agreement for a Sustainable Mining Industry. The Draft agreement has outlined in its preamble the recognition that “the rule of law and stability is a fundamental pillar of our democracy and a necessity to ensure economic and social development”, it further recognises the “need to expedite further transformation in the mining sector” and commits all the parties to “work together to put in place processes that will bring about real changes”. While it is apparent that the main protagonists within the conflict, which has seen a growing death toll, are drawn from the ranks of labour, government and business, it is most disturbing that the trend of excluding communities who are affected by mining from the process of dialogue and the attempts to seek a lasting resol...