Mining Partnership (AMP) gala dinner, Sheraton Hotel, Cape Town
5 February 2006
Deputy President,
Ministers from African countries and South Africa,
Programme Director
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to the fourth Gala dinner of the AMP and welcome to Cape Town. A
special welcome to our Deputy President who, as one of the founder members of
this organisation, is passionate about the success of what we can achieve as
Ministers of Mining in Africa and the impact of the AMP projects. She will be
addressing us shortly.
Having been in this portfolio for less than eight months I have had the
opportunity to only meet some of my colleagues. Those Ministers that I did not
meet at the Executive Committee members at our mid-term review in Addis Ababa
last August, I look forward to meeting over the next few days. Such
interactions are important as they help to build relationships so that we are
able to consolidate our positions on a number of issues that affect us.
On Friday President Mbeki gave his annual State of the Nation Address where
he spoke about the need to stimulate and increase economic growth and the
importance of addressing inequality and eliminating poverty in our country. For
all African countries, including South Africa, the resources sector represents
a powerful economic force. We as the ministers presiding over this sector have
a critical role to play in our economy and indeed we have the responsibility to
ensure this sector is effectively utilised to create a better life for our
people.
I hope that through our formal and informal interactions we are able to
share information, ideas, and knowledge on strategies for promoting growth in
the resources sector. Particularly during this period of a resources boom there
is a great deal that we can do to stimulate profitable new investments into our
countries.
Tonight we are joined by several mining companies and I thank them for the
support they have offered to these AMP gatherings. Most of these companies have
become significant investors in other African countries and bring with them
skills, finance, technology and access to markets. By now they are all aware of
good practice and good corporate governance when it comes to investing in
Africa.
In his address on Friday President Mbeki spoke about the problems of
corruption and poor administration in government and the need to urgently
tackle these things as they impede development and hamper the delivery of
services to the most vulnerable in our society. The resources sector with the
potential for significant profits has been target for these corrupting elements
and we must therefore guard against these influences.
Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the resources sector also holds
significant potential for the development of small scale mining and upstream
and downstream industries. Some of the AMP projects have been looking at these
issues and I look forward to the deliberations tomorrow.
Tonight we should all enjoy ourselves before the hard work of tomorrow and I
would like to thank Standard Bank for sponsoring this dinner. I welcome Mr
David Munro and Standard Bank directors who are accompanying him. Mr Munro will
also be giving an address later this evening.
Finally, in most African cultures, we have the concept of Ubuntu and in that
spirit I welcome you and hope everybody enjoys the dinner and the entertainment
afterwards.
I thank you.
Issued by: Ministry of Minerals and Energy
5 February 2006
