By Hajira Khota                                                                                                                                                            26.11.2021

In KwaZulu-Natal, the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy will hold two public hearings on the Gas Amendment Bill this weekend. The bill proposes to revise the Gas Act of 2001 in order to promote the orderly growth of the gas industry and to account for new advances and changing technology in the gas sector.

The Gas Amendment Bill was published and brought by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, to the National Assembly in April 2021, with the goal of amending the Gas Act of 2001 (enacted to promote the development of the piped gas industry).

The bill’s stated intentions include a provision for “socio-economic and environmentally sustainable development.

Speaking to Radio Islam International; Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources, Sahlulele Luzipo says that this bill also highlights the safety and protection of workers, communities and the environment.

“The bill is also aimed at responding to new technologies in the industry for storage and transportation”.

The committee received 19 written submissions on the Bill from civil society groups and organisations in July this year.

The Bill, according to community members, should cover issues such as health and safety, as well as community development projects.

Luzipo says that the Gas Bill clarifies and strengthens NERSA’s role in regulating the gas industry, allowing for a more effective accountability mechanism inside the industry.

The committee is seeking public input in order to ensure that their concerns are adequately addressed when the Bill eventually becomes an Act of Parliament, says Luzipo.

[LISTEN] to the podcast here