The Minister in the Presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, will replace President Jacob Zuma as the keynote speaker at the Mining Lekgotla 2014 Gala Dinner in Midrand, Johannesburg tomorrow, on 13 August 2014.
President Zuma has to attend the mini-summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Luanda, in the Republic of Angola from 13 to 14 August 2014.
The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mr Ngoako Ramathlodi will officially open the Lekgotla earlier in the day. The lekgotla will take place under the theme Building on the Contribution of Mining since the Advent of Democracy: The Past We Acknowledge and the Future We Build Together. The event is a collaboration between the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, the Department of Mineral Resources and the National Union of Mineworkers.
"The sector has faced difficulties in recent times but the future remains very bright for mining in our country if we work together to build and strengthen the industry. Mining is a key job driver and foreign exchange earner for the country and has been the backbone of our economy for decades. We wish the mining sector a successful and productive lekgotla with positive outcomes for the country's economy," said President Zuma.
The lekgotla has become the premier Mining Think-Tank in the sector, and serves to explore key trends and policy shifts in the mining environment. It also provides a platform for strategic conversations between key stakeholders in the South African mining industry and other role-players as well as identify and confront critical issues, risks, social pressures and opportunities in the sector.
The lekgotla was launched in 2012, followed by an equally successful 2013 edition. It has been addressed by a number of leading experts and thought-leaders drawn from the political, labour, academic, media and private sector arenas.
Enquiries:
Mac Maharaj
Cell: 079 879 3203
E-mail: macmaharaj@icloud.com
