Sustainable and radical economic transformation of the mining industry will be achieved only once all South Africans share in the wealth beneath our soil.

ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER OF MINERAL RESOURCES, HONOURABLE MOSEBENZI J. ZWANE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE BUDGET VOTE 29: MINERAL RESOURCES, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, CAPE TOWN, 16TH MAY 2017 Honourable Chairperson of the House Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Cde Godfrey Oliphant Chairperson and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources The Whip of the ANC Study Group on Mineral Resources, iNkosi Mandela Honourable Members Distinguished guests Members of the media Ladies and gentlemen

On Monday evening of the 3rd April 2017 at exactly 19:40, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake, whose impact reverberated across South Africa has since had its epicenter located near the Kalahari Game reserve in Botswana (location coordinates -22.470 and 25.040). A network of seismic stations installed in South Africa and several neighbouring countries enabled a speedy and seamless affirmation of the epicenter.

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) constituted the delegation of Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to the Prospectus and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Canada. The conference and trade show is held annually during the first week of March at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto, focusing on the development of junior to mid-tier mining value chain development, spanning exploration (geological information), development, financing, services, legal, and so on. The DMR led the South African delegation supported by the Department of Trade and Industry, Mintek, South African Diamond and Precious Metal Regulator, the CGS as well as the SA High Commission in Canada. The conference officially commenced on Sunday the 5th and continued till Wednesday the 8th of March 2017. The South African government safeguarded a strategic position at the trade show and maintained a strong brand presence while promoting the country as the ideal mining investment destination.