The preservation, development and sustainable use of agricultural land are of vital importance to ensure longterm food security in South Africa. These principles of food security as well as an integrated, inclusive rural economy underpin the core focus areas of the National Development Plan, Vision 2030 (NDP).

The Select Committee on Land and Mineral Resources having conducted oversight at the Council of Geosciences (CGS), the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), from 21 – 22 October 2014 reports as follows:

1. Background and Introduction

With the Minister of Public Works in attendance, the Deputy Minister gave a briefing on the Expropriation Bill (B4-2015). He said that expropriation is an essential mechanism for the state to acquire property in certain instances. Section 25 of the Constitution provides that property may be expropriated only in terms of general application and to that no law may permit arbitrary deprivation of property. The Constitution states that expropriation may occur only for a public purpose or in the public interest and subject to payment of compensation.

The Department of Mineral Resources is attempting to develop oil and gas drilling in South Africa through Operation Phakisa. The project is still in the early stages of research and exploration, but the Department aims to have 30 wells built in 10 years. DME estimates very roughly, that as many as 9 billion barrels of oil and 9 billion barrels of gas could be within South African borders, and many national and international companies have expressed interest in investing in South African drilling.

The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has nine regional offices and three satellite offices. It explained that there were business processes in place to guide the application and consultation process. It emphasised that the primary duty to consult rested with an applicant for a mining permit and a prospecting, exploration, production or mining right. Applications for rights and permits were lodged online using the South African Mineral Resources Administration System (SAMRAD).

Political transformations in most developing nations have been accompanied by vast land claims by indigenous communities who were forcibly detached from their traditional land during colonisation and apartheid-like dispensations. In the context of sub-Saharan African countries (including South Africa), the need for land reform has been aggravated by the great scarcity of farmland. However, most of the reclaimed land is in areas pursuing conservation activities.

Recognition and respect for tenure rights has long been recognized as an important concern for development, conservation, and natural resource governance. This paper discusses why secure tenure rights for local communities, indigenous peoples and women are central to good natural resource governance and important for livelihoods and human rights, as recognized in multiple international conventions. The paper reviews both challenges and opportunities for securing rights in practice and highlights successful cases of tenure reform.

This report presents the key findings and core messages of the 2017 Resource Governance Index. The index measures the quality of resource governance in 81 countries that together produce 82 percent of the world’s oil, 78 percent of its gas and a significant proportion of minerals, including 72 percent of all copper. It is the product of 89 country assessments (eight countries were assessed in two sectors), compiled by 150 researchers, using almost 10,000 supporting documents to answer 149 questions.

El Índice de la Gobernanza de los Recursos Naturales evalúa las políticas y las prácticas empleadas por las autoridades para gobernar sus industrias petrolera, gasífera y minera. El índice proporciona una calificación agregada para cada evaluación. En la mayoría de países, el índice evalúa ya sea el sector petróleo y gas, o el sector minero. En el caso de ocho países, el índice evalúa a ambos sectores. Lee mas en http://www.resourcegovernanceindex.org. 

Le rapport présente les principaux résultats et messages clés de l’Indice de Gouvernance des Ressources Naturelles 2017. L’indice mesure la qualité de la gouvernance des ressources naturelles dans 81 pays, qui représentent 82% de la production mondiale de pétrole, 78% de la production mondiale de gaz et une part importante de la production de minéraux, dont 72% de la production mondiale de cuivre.

Этот отчет представляет ключевые выводы и основные послания Индекса управления ресурсами 2017. Индекс оценивает качество управления ресурсами в 81 стране, которые совместно производят 82 процента мировой нефти, 78 процентов газа и значительную часть минеральных ресурсов, включая 72 процента всей меди. Это результат 89 страновых оценок (восемь стран были оценены по двум секторам), проведенных 150 исследователями, которые использовали почти 10000 подтверждающих документов для ответов на 149 вопросов.

یعرض ھذا التقریر النتائج الرئیسیة والخلاصات الأساسیة لمؤشر حوكمة الموارد لعام 2017. ويقيس المؤشر حسن إدارة الموارد في 81 بلدا تنتج  82 في المائة من النفط في العالم، و 78 في المائة من الغاز، ونسبة كبيرة من المعادن، بما في ذلك 72 في المائة من جميع النحاس. وهو نتاج 89 تقييما قطريا (تم تقييم ثمانية بلدان في قطاعين)، جمع  النتائج 150 باحثا، باستخدام ما يقرب من 10،000 وثيقة داعمة للإجابة على 149 سؤالا.  ممكن الإطلاع على النتائج المفصلة على http://www.resourcegovernanceindex.org