President Cyril Ramaphosa has transferred legislation previously administered by the Mineral Resources and Energy Minister to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa respectively.
This follows the announcement earlier this year that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) would be split into the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) and the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE).
The legislation transferred to the Electricity and Energy Minister comprises:
• the Abolition of the National Energy Council Act, 1991;
• the Nuclear Energy Act, 1993;
• the Nuclear Energy Act, 1999;
• the National Nuclear Regulator Act, 1999;
• the Gas Act, 2001;
• the Gas Regulator Levies Act, 2002;
• the National Energy Regulator Act, 2004;
• the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006;
• the National Energy Act, 2008; and
• the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute Act, 2008.
The legislation transferred to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister are:
• the Central Energy Fund Act, 1977;
• the Petroleum Products Act, 1977;
• the Petroleum Pipelines Act, 2003;
• the Petroleum Pipelines Levies Act, 2004;
• the Mines and Works Act, 1956;
• the Mining Titles Registration Act, 1967;
• the Diamonds Act, 1986;
• the Mineral Technology Act, 1989;
• the Geoscience Act, 1993;
• the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996;
• the Abolition of Lebowa Mineral Trust Act, 2000;
• the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002; and
• the Precious Metals Act, 2005.
The DMRE will continue to exist until the legislation and relevant human and financial resources are transferred and will then be replaced by the DMPR and the DEE.
As an interim arrangement, Mantashe has been assigned responsibility for the DMRE. A memorandum of agreement will be entered into to ensure the DMRE provides the necessary support to Ramokgopa for the remainder of the 2024/25 financial year and until a new DEE is established and resourced.
