APA-Johannesburg (South Africa) South Africa’s Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has called for a clear roadmap on how to maximise the exploitation of Africa’s mineral resources for value addition to benefit economies of the continent.
Speaking during the opening of the first African Critical Minerals Summit in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Mantashe said Africa’s minerals have for centuries been taken by developed economies “for a song, used to develop themselves, and we remain poor.”
This history must change, he said, adding that what was needed was to move to the beneficiation of Africa’s critical minerals so that the work involved in adding value would create job opportunities for the continent’s youth.
“This means we must honestly engage with the notion of local beneficiation of critical minerals, and collectively answer the following question: who will do the beneficiation?” Mantashe asked.
This brought up the need to train talent that would be responsible for carrying the beneficiation of the critical mineral resources which were all over the continent – starting with South Africa’s itself, he said.
The inaugural summit has brought together stakeholders, industry experts, policy makers and investors to explore opportunities from rare minerals in boosting Africa’s developing economies.
The first day of the summit also saw ministers from Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo and Namibia among those taking part in a panel discussion on the critical minerals strategic document.
NM/jn/APA