In the published amended regulations of the National Disaster Management Act of 2002 on 16 April 2020, Section 11K (3) stipulates that “the monitoring and impact of seismicity through the Council for Geoscience must be intensified with immediate effect”.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) welcomes the responsibility bequeathed by the State authorities and affirms its readiness to fulfil this obligation in accordance with its legislative mandate and in collaboration with key protagonists in implementation of regulations.  The CGS maintains a national network of seismic stations across the length and breadth of the country and has a track record of recording and analysing seismology information for over a century. In giving effect to the resolution, the CGS will work together with a number of expert institutions including, albeit not limited to: the Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC), The CSIR, the Minerals Council, the South African National Institute of Rock Engineers and the Institute of Mine Seismology.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) mourns the passing of Professor Maarten de Wit, an internationally acclaimed geoscientist who worked over several decades in numerous fields, including the evolution of the early Earth; Earth system processes and science transdisciplinarity. Professor de Wit’s passion, commitment to geoscience education and development led him to occupy various prominent positions at research institutions around the world and the supervision of several hundred Master’s and Doctoral graduates. His contribution toward the body of geoscience knowledge and understanding of the Earth is unrivalled and has assisted in the characterisation of numerous critical Earth processes and the development of applied geoscience solutions, especially on the African continent.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) has observed with concern the accusatory statements made by the Boere Krisis Aksie on 20 February 2020 via social media. We accordingly place on record that the statement was issued without consultation with the management of the CGS to address the purported concerns. We have further resolved to thoroughly investigate these allegations, in collaboration with the Law enforcement Authorities, and intend to engage all affected and interested stakeholders upon conclusion of the same within a period not exceeding a month. The reports from these comprehensive investigations will also direct the necessary actions to be duly considered in pursuit of justice.