MIASA welcomes the launch of The Association of Chambers of Mines and other Mining Associations (ACMMAA)

Johannesburg, 03 October 2018. The Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa (MIASA) welcomes the launch of the Association of Chambers of Mines and other Mining Associations (ACMMAA) in Kampala, Uganda, yesterday. ACMMAA is an association of private sector regional associations of chambers of mines in Africa.

 

MIASA, with the support of the African Union (AU), has been instrumental in the establishment of similar mining associations in East, West and Central Africa during 2018. The North African arm is due to be launched in 2019. The Ecowas Federation of Chambers of Mines (EFEDCOM) was inaugurated in November 2016; the East African Chamber of Mines and Extractive Industry Association (EACMEIA) was launched 18 months ago; while the Central African Mining Association (CAMA) was launched in August 2018. MIASA is the most established regional association and was launched in 1998. MIASA will continue to play a leading role in partnership with the AU in establishing the Northern Africa regional mining association.

 

ACMMAA was established through the Windhoek Declaration in October 2017 and an interim committee comprising the following was tasked with the responsibility of drafting the constitution and organising the first Annual General Meeting (AGM) which took place yesterday in Kampala:

 

 

The draft constitution was circulated to all the members in advance of the meeting and was adopted at the AGM. The ACMMAA executive committee was also elected at this inaugural AGM as follows:

 

 

The following members of the interim committee were elected to continue to serve in the executive committee for the first two years as founding members:

 

 

Mr Vusi Mabena was appointed as the Secretary General for an initial period of three years with a possibility of renewal thereafter:

 

ACMMAA’s objective is to be a representative voice of the mining sector in Africa and engage with African governments to explore ways of ensuring that the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) becomes a reality. The AMV http://www.africaminingvision.org/amv_resources/AMV/Africa_Mining_Vision_English.pdf  is a continental policy framework, adopted by all 54 AU member countries in 2009. At its first AGM yesterday, it was established that ACMMAA has an adequate chambers of mines membership from 36 countries to qualify for an ‘observer status’ at the Summit of Heads of State at the African Union.

 

ACMMAA also aims to support the other African regions in adopting the AMV and developing their own regional mining visions. MIASA is already making its contributions and comments on the draft Southern African Regional Mining Vision that is being led by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat.

 

ACMMAA’s purpose is to promote the AMV Private Sector Compact that seeks to encourage the private sector to implement the AMV in partnership with other stakeholders both at regional and national level.

 

The AMV Private Sector Compact launched in 2016, provides an opportunity for the most cost -effective mode of cooperation to achieve the AMV outcomes. It is based on twelve principles that set out mutual obligations and benefits that are clearly aligned with core values, policies, strategic plans and mission statements of companies in the African extractives sector.

 

For further information please contact:

 

Vusi Mabena

Executive Secretary: MIASA

Tel: + 27 11 498 7278

Mobile: +27 82 465 5758

Email: amabena@miasa.org.za

Web: www.miasa.org.za