Minister Gwede Mantashe told Parliament that illegal mining and mineral theft fall under law enforcement, not his department, prompting debate after ATM’s Vuyo Zungula referenced the Phala Phala scandal.
Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe told Parliament on Tuesday that theft is a criminal matter that must be handled by the police and not government departments, prompting ATM leader and MP Vuyo Zungula to raise the Phala Phala controversy during the same meeting.
Responding to questions from MPs during a Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources briefing, alongside the CEF Group and Alexkor on their 2025/26 second to fourth quarter performance reports, Mantashe addressed illegal mining.
He said there was a clear distinction between legal mining and illegal mining, which he described as a criminal offence.
"We can't take an account for illegal mining. That's a criminal activity. And it's not our responsibility to deal with that," he said.
