As the Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources adopts a report on a referred petition related to alleged corruption and governance issues at Alexkor, the petitioner, Mr Gavin Graythorne, has expressed confidence in Parliament’s commitment to addressing all the allegations.
He said: “We would like to express our sincere thanks for the rigor and enthusiasm that the committee has displayed to us, and we look forward to the process and to rebuilding the Northern Cape marine diamond mining industry.”
On Tuesday morning, the committee adopted a report on how it processed a petition that was referred by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thoko Didiza, on 28 February 2025. The committee took two measures in processing the petition, including inviting Mr Graythorne to provide a detailed presentation on 13 May 2025 and conducting a three-day oversight visit to Alexkor in Alexander Bay, Northern Cape, from 6 to 8 June 2025.
As part of its resolutions and recommendations, the committee is proposing a joint investigation into Alexkor with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The investigation will focus on the root causes of the company’s audit disclaimers issued over the past five financial years. The committee believes that addressing these disclaimers could reveal the underlying issues at Alexkor.
The Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Mikateko Mahlaule, said that the scope of reference on what exactly must be investigated will be provided by the office of the Speaker, upon receipt of the report. “Depending on the need, Mr Graythorne and others may be called to be part of the inquiry.”
The gist of Mr Graythorne’s petition is to urge Parliament to conduct a public inquiry into accountability within the Alexkor ecosystem and the implications for small-scale marine diamond miners.
In addition, organised labour in the form of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), also called for a parliamentary inquiry into Alexkor and the restoration of collective bargaining platforms. NUM representatives had an opportunity to address the committee during an oversight visit to Alexkor on 6 June 2025.
As a way forward, the committee is also recommending that the National Assembly should request the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mr Gwede Mantashe, to facilitate a meeting between Alexkor and the aggrieved mining contractors to find a resolution to the ongoing disputes and report back to the committee by 31 March 2026. In addition, the Minister must urgently resolve the tensions between the two boards and report to the committee by the fourth quarter of this financial year.
Justice Molafo
1 July 2025
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