Partners Not Masters

African countries are expanding their cooperation with foreign countries to attract investment in various areas， including the mining industry. Recently， when attending the China Mining Congress and Expo 2016 from September 22-25 in Tianjin Municipality， Mosebenzi Zwane， South African Mineral Resources Minister， Abubakar Bawa Bwari， Nigerian Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development， and Bakia Mbianyor， Senior Compliance and Safeguards Officer at the African Development Bank Group （AfDB） spoke to ChinAfrica reporter Liu Jian on Chinas investment in African mining. Their thoughts follow：

ChinAfrica： What progress has been made in your countrys beneficiation process in the mining sector？

Mosebenzi Zwane： We have our entities who have been working on the beneficiation process. But we are also looking at Chinas capacity. I am glad that we have agreed to have a mutually beneficial relationship， where we will be able to benefit in that process using the capacity that China has in beneficiation.

Abubakar Bawa Bwari： Thats one very important aspect. We havent really given attention to， but we need to focus on the area of beneficiation. Thats the only way we can get the value out of the minerals. Most of the minerals that have been explored are taken in their raw form to other countries. But now we want to focus on beneficiation， so that it can benefit our people， create a value chain and increase employment.

How can Chinese cooperation help grow and sustain your mining industry through innovation？

Mosebenzi Zwane： South Africas mining industry has grown a lot， because of our relationship with China and Chinese investment. China has a lot of technologies. Some of our gold mines couldnt be mined because of old techniques and technology. This partnership [with China] will help improve our techniques and technology in this regard. Going forward， we will be able to go back and mine those mines. I am sure that will increase our GDP and grow our economy.

Abubakar Bawa Bwari： China has the experience， technology and money， because the mining business is capital intensive. We also need China in the area of geological service， and we have [signed] a memorandum of understanding with [the China Geological Survey] in 2012， and we hope to sign the [cooperation] agreement in November. We will come back to China in November to have a NigeriaChina Mining Investment Roadshow in Beijing， where we can discuss more in details about mining activities and opportunities for Chinese investors to come to Nigeria.

Western media are prone to criticize China for allegedly removing minerals and other resources from Africa without equitable compensation. What is your opinion on these accusations？

Mosebenzi Zwane： We have a very good relationship with China. We meet our counterparts， and we agreed that our partnership is based on respect and a mutually beneficial relationship. China has achieved what they need to achieve in terms of investing in South Africa and getting back their investment. But on the other hand， they [have] also assisted us， with investment， ensuring that the downstream value addition takes place in South Africa.

Abubakar Bawa Bwari： We are the ones who have the say， not them [the Western media]. We have no reason whatsoever to complain. We are not foolish. We know what we want for our country. Nobody should tell us what is good for us. They [the West] have been dictating [to us over the years and] we have seen no results； they have been promising， but they were not fulfilling their promises. We know who is there for us when we need them.

Bakia Mbianyor： Dont expect to get any positive publicity from the Western media. The players who dominated the African landscape are Western companies. Of course， there is a tendency for the Western media to report in favorable support of Western companies， and not the Chinese companies. But the reality is that the African countries that have the minerals have the leverage. They are the ones who decide who to give mining permits to， when to allow the activity to start， and how much percentage they should own in the investment. So its not very honest to say the Chinese are coming to Africa just to dig [up] the ground and get the minerals for free. Thats not the case. A lot of African countries know what their rights are and they use their [own] leverage. The Chinese work with Africa and Africans as partners， not as masters， compared to other countries. The Chinese dont put any preconditions prior to investment.

What do you expect Chinese companies to do when they invest in the mining sector？ What are your suggestions for them？

Mosebenzi Zwane： We are a very sensitive country when it comes to environment. Our expectation is that the Chinese companies going to South Africa should assist us to maintain our green environment. When it comes to social development， it is a necessity that helps not only South Africans， but everybody going forward when companies go to South Africa and ensure that they invest in social development. Thats what I encourage and will be glad to actually see them doing. As my counterparts said， the Chinese companies that are going to South Africa should adhere to the policies there.

Abubakar Bawa Bwari： We want the Chinese to come， [but] it has to be a relationship mutually beneficial to both sides with mutual respect. They have to， particularly， take care of the host com- munities， avoid conflicts， and respect our laws. When they come they should operate according to our rules and regulations. In fact， you cannot get a license without the consent of the host community. So its a major step toward issuing a license to you，[as] you have to discuss with them [host communities， on the] terms， and agree on those terms that will be beneficial for them before we can give you a license.

Bakia Mbianyor： Chinese companies are quite new to the environment. To understand what the challenges are and what they need to do， they need to partner with [organizations] already existing in the African landscape， such as AfDB. We complement their objectives in Africa. We understand the continent better， and understand the development objectives， the social environment and climate change issues. So we can support Chinese operators and investors by training.

What benefits can Chinese investment in the mining sector bring to African countries and African people？

Abubakar Bawa Bwari： In the area of technological transfer， China has already trained some of our engineers through scholarship [programs]. China is there investing in some of our industries， which has increased employment. We believe with time， this is just the beginning. There will be much more good things to come out of this relationship.

Bakia Mbianyor： Chinese investment in Africa is like win-win. The Chinese come with relevant skills， relevant financial resources， and in some cases， an appealing business model. And the model is to assist countries in implementing certain development projects. So its an exchange thats mutually beneficial to both the Chinese companies and the African countries. This is seen as an appealing business model， something that is mutually beneficial not only for the Chinese， but also for the African countries who need the infrastructure and investment to enhance the quality of life of their citizens.