11 Jul 2013

The purpose of appointments under the Mines, Quarries, Works and Machinery Act and Regulations is to ensure that competent people are engaged, says Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Kitso Mokaila.

Responding to a question in Parliament on July 10, Mr Mokaila said the purpose of the appointments was to ensure that competent people were engaged as managers or assistants to managers to ensure compliance to the statutory requirements of the act to provide for the safety, health and welfare of persons engaged in prospecting, mining and quarrying operations including any works which are part of and ancillary to mining and quarrying operations are competent.

He explained that the requirement for the appointment under the Mines, Quarries, Works and Machinery Act and Regulations was necessary as mining was specialised and involved highly technical issues which required competent persons trained in different fields of specialisation which have to be vetted for suitability prior to being appointed. MP for Gaborone Central Mr Dumelang Saleshando had asked the minister to explain the purpose of the appointments stated in the Mines, Quarries, Works and Machinery Sections 6 (1), ( (1), and ( (4); and whether he still considers the Sections appropriate for the Botswana Mining Sector. ENDS