Africa needed to realise that its mineral resources were finite and, therefore, had to put minerals policies in place that would ensure national stability and prosperity in the long run, African Public Policy and Research Institute executive director Dr Martin Rupiya said last month at the Building Regional and International Consensus workshop, hosted by the Southern African Liaison Office, in Pretoria.

He explained that the concept of the Kimberley Process (KP), aimed at stemming the trade of conflict diamonds, could be adapted and used for other mineral resources to assist in managing Africa’s resources.

“There are various different parties inter-ested in Africa’s minerals, such as international companies, local government and civil society, creating the need for a process to mediate their interests.

“Africa has an opportunity, it has the neces- sary resources and, if those resources are managed properly, we can change our lives,” he said.

One of the major challenges faced by African countries was youth unemployment, Rupiya pointed out, adding that, should a country discover mineral resources, the discovery should assist in addressing this challenge.

“However, as the mineral resources are finite, the labour sector should also be part of the discussion along with government and civil society, when provision is made for when the resources are depleted.

“We should use the windfall of natural resources wisely – to lay down infrastructure and secure the future of the particular country,” he said.

For example, in Mozambique, mutinational companies have discovered natural gas, but to start up operations would cost $50-billion.

“While banks would not be willing to grant the Mozambique government that finance, they will grant that to multinational companies. However, the natural gas resources in Mozambique will not last forever, which creates the need for an intense discussion on how this resource can be used wisely to further the country’s economy,” he explained.

Further, the ways in which technology and skills could be transferred to enable locals to do their own mining in ten or 20 years also needed to be discussed, he added.

“I am enthusiastic about the work of the KP and how this can be replicated in other areas of the mining industry to create a partnership between State and civil society to manage the continent’s mineral resources in such a way that stability is achieved,” he concluded.