18 Jun 2025

Mineral extraction and tourism investments should contribute equitably to national growth while uplifting affected communities.

Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Mr Ketlhalefile Motshegwa expressed the sentiments during a panel discussion on the topic ‘Exploring potential for commercial partnerships between mining companies and local communities to drive sustainable growth and mutual prosperity’, at the summit on the future of mining on Tuesday.

While mining had contributed to the growth of the economy down the years, Mr Motshegwa decried that the people adjacent to the areas where mining activities took place remain marginalised, facing socio-economic challenges and without access to social services.

The affected communities should be able to drive the development of their areas through the mining activities taking place in their localities and also have choices for their livelihoods, he said, thus attributing the triple crisis of unemployment, poverty and inequality to that marginalisation of mineral-rich communities. Minister Motshegwa highlighted the need to address socio-economic disparities by identifying and implementing community upliftment initiatives and ensuring equitable access to resources, infrastructure, and essential services for affected communities.

“Cabinet has established a cabinet sub-committee on sustainability for inclusive growth and social justice to oversee the formulation and implementation of policies that ensure equitable distribution of economic benefits derived from the mining and tourism sectors, while promoting environmental sustainability, economic inclusion and social justice,” Mr Motshegwa said.

 The primary objective he said, was to optimise value chains by developing policies that leverage mining and tourism value chains to create beneficiation projects, promote local content development and employment creation. He indicated that it was part of government developmental agenda to fight these crises, to grow the economy to improve the standard of living for all through quality social services.

“A developmental state tries to balance economic growth and social development. It uses state resources and state influence to attack poverty and expand economic opportunities,” he said.

He emphasised that the idea of ‘developmental state’ was hinged on the notion that development must involve the very people that need development,” he said.

Minister Motshegwa underscored government’s commitment to the global framework of Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development Goals in particular Goal 8 which speaks to issues of inclusive growth and commitment to AU’s agenda 2063, which is about generating opportunities for all and a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. ENDS