Mpumalanga is sitting on coal deposits estimated to last three centuries. Yet, global pressure to decarbonize is forcing the government into a corner: burn the coal and risk the planet, or shut the mines and risk livelihoods, resulting in former mineworkers relying on the state for sustenance.
This Was the stark reality laid bare at the Mpumalanga Investment and Mining Conference in Middelburg this week, where political heavyweights, mining bosses and investors debated how to manage the province’s mineral wealth without suffocating the environment or its people.
Minister of Electricity and Energy Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reminded delegates that coal was far from a relic.
“Mpumalanga has 300 years left of coal deposits. Once we invest in their exploitation and their mining, they become the resource. Coal has been designated as a strategic mineral.”
He hailed Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu for creating a space where public and private players could thrash out solutions.
“That intersection is a sweet spot that is going to help us catalyze the economy, not just of the province but the entire country.”
Ramokgopa insisted mining was “a sunrise industry” despite predictions of its decline.
He argued that minerals would underpin the very transition away from fossil fuels.
“The critical minerals that are going to undergird that transition are found on the continent. Eighty percent of the mineral resources needed for manufacturing are found in South Africa.”
But the minister warned against a reckless stampede to green energy.
“The socio-economic impact will be devastating if it is unmanaged. It will have huge implications for the economy of Mpumalanga and the country. That’s why we are talking about the repurposing of power stations.”
Coal, he said, still directly employs 100 000 South Africans.
“For Mpumalanga alone, at least 46 100 households have at least one coal mine worker. If you advocate for the demise of coal, you are saying these 46 100 households will not have an income.
“We don’t talk about the decommissioning of a power station, but we are talking about the repowering. There are lessons we have learned in Komati.
“Komati was a thriving area and then you just shut down the power station. Go to Komati now, it’s a ghost town.”
The message to investors was blunt: South Africa cannot afford to walk away from coal. Instead, it must harness its coal legacy while betting big on the minerals of the future.
