On 28 May 2019, the President of the Republic of South Africa, the Honourable Cyril Ramaphosa, announced the merger between the Departments of Mineral Resources and of Energy (now known as the DMRE). Subsequently, and in line with Parliamentary requirements, parliamentarians were appointed to serve on various Parliamentary Portfolio Committees (PPC). The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy embarked on an oversight visit to all DMRE entities in view of introducing its members to these entities and their various functions.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee (PPC) members and the Director-General of the DMRE, Adv. Thabo Mokoena.
On Monday, 26 August 2019, the PPC on Mineral Resources and Energy visited the Council for Geoscience (CGS) as one of the entities reporting to the DMRE. The Chairperson of the Committee, Mr. Sahlulele Luzipo, led the delegation and explained the purpose of the Committee’s visit. The Chairperson of the CGS Board, Dr. Humphrey Mathe, in turn, welcomed the PPC Committee, after which the CGS Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mosa Mabuza, introduced the Executives and Managers of the organisation.
Mr. Mabuza gave a presentation on the role of the CGS and its core functions. He outlined the organisational strategy that aims to fulfil the organisational mandate of the CGS in support of the DMRE’s goal of stimulating investment in the mining sector and contributing to the country’s economic growth. In his presentation, Mr. Mabuza gave a detailed account of the integrated multidisciplinary mapping programme and various other technical projects of national importance that the CGS is currently undertaking. He further outlined the progress made thus far in respect of these projects and presented the operational status and improvement plans of the organisation to the committee. After the presentations, the members of Parliament questioned the CGS Management and advised the cohort on issues that needed to be prioritised. During their visit to the CGS, the PPC members also visited various facilities within the CGS, such as the analytical (laboratory) facility where our scientists routinely analyse samples for internal and external stakeholders.