Mining analyst 'in despair' over 5 more years of Gwede Mantashe

Mining expert Peter Major joins Mike Wills.

Listen below.

Mining expert Peter Major didn't exactly mince his words when he was interviewed for Business Live recently on the future of South Africa's mining industry under Minister Gwede Mantashe.

He told the publication, "Asking if the mining sector can survive another five years of Gwede Mantashe is like asking if someone can live five more years with pancreatic cancer."

Mantashe survived the President's axe as the new cabinet was announced, albeit in a slightly revised version of his portfolio.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has been reconfigured as the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.

But with Mantashe at the helm, it's a case of a rose by any other name, suggests Major.

"I'm in despair, and I think everybody in mining in South Africa is in despair."

- Peter Major, Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions

"For 20, 30 years now, we've just asked, 'take the shackles off, work with us, let's put mining back where it was'..."

- Peter Major, Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions

But is the answer to return to the old days and the old ways of doing things, with its abusive labour practices, counters Wills.

"I've heard the same story from many countries."

- Peter Major, Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions

"We think we lost so many men, and we did... but boy, compare that with America, look how many they lost."

- Peter Major, Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions

"It's nonsense to say technology has put men out of work. Government has put men out of work. Gwede Mantashe has put men out of work."

- Peter Major, Director of Mining - Modern Corporate Solutions

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Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.