Africa-Press – South-Africa. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe – who recently controversially said hunger kills faster than fossil fuels – has called for a shift to lower-carbon emissions.
Mantashe has long pushed back against being rushed into a just transition, arguing the economic cost of a rapid shift from coal.
Speaking at the Council for Geoscience Summit at the Durban International Convention Centre on Tuesday, Mantashe said an energy transition was the future for SA, and that the world’s economic trajectory had demanded a shift.
He added, however, that coal capture and storage might still be an important power source to consider.
“Our transition from high- to low-carbon emission might be achieved with coal as part of the solution, if the hypothesis of clean coal is proven,” he said.
Carbon-capture technologies involve capturing carbon emissions from industrial activity, including power generation, and then transporting it to be kept underground.
It is a form of carbon sequestration, which generally involves the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.
He was largely positive about the transition of power before a packed room of scientists, politicians and other stakeholders, saying the Geoscience Act empowered the Council for Geoscience to undertake geological exploration.
“I am expecting them to work with the private sector to re-catalyse the exploration activities in the country, in line with the geological potential.”
Mantashe added:
He said the geoscience communities had to prepare “to unravel the possibilities of SA as a source of these minerals, advanced in the manner that optimises the benefit for the people of the country”.
The Council for Geosciences-led role in carbon capture gives SA hope that the country’s energy transition programme can be attained, Mantashe said.
“Our commitment to the international protocol on climate change remains resolute.”
The minister also touched on the flooding in KZN that claimed nearly 500 lives.
He said it was vital for infrastructure development to consider geo-technical conditions “prior to effecting such development”.
“It is precisely in this context that the amendment of the Geoscience Act empowered the Council for Geosciences to review all geo-technical reports and provide appropriate advice to the local authorities in consideration of their infrastructure development programmes.”
Mantashe also said the Council for Geosciences had developed technology to track the movements of zama zamas or illegal miners.
He said in future, it was envisaged that the Council for Geosciences would “play a key role in providing geoscientific solutions to a number of challenges facing our country”.
“It is expected that the council will play a technical role in addressing the urgent problems of water ingress and acid mine drainage that we have inherited as a result of historical unsustainable mining practices.
“Moreover, there are challenges of water scarcity in many parts of the country which need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
He said the problem of illegal mining that is colloquially known as zama zamas has engulfed the country.
“I have been consistent that this is a crime and there’s no room for such activity is South Africa. Accordingly, I appreciate the responsiveness of the council for geosciences in speedily developing illegal mining tracker technique using geoscientific techniques, which will detect illegal mining activities well in advance and communicate with the law-enforcement authorities in order to deal with such activities timely.”
The Council for Geosciences is also actively involved in assessing the negative impacts of the mining industry as well as other human activities on our water resources, Mantashe added.
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