Information pertaining to the recruitment of staff to be designated environmental mineral resource inspectors in terms of NEMA.

Copies of the following records are requested:
1. Any record or records that contain information pertaining to the recruitment of staff to be designated environmental mineral resource inspectors (EMRIs) in terms of section 31BB of the National Environmental Management Act No. 107 of 1998 (as amended) (NEMA) in the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR); training of those EMRIs to prepare them for their statutory powers and obligations under NEMA; designation of EMRIs by the Minister of Mineral Resources; and operation and management of EMRIs in the Department of Mineral Resources, including, but not limited to, the following:

a) any advertisements calling for applications for appointment as EMRIs (indicating the required qualifications and level of appointment);

b) the total number of staff already employed by the DMR to be designated EMRIs, together with their qualifications and experience;

c) the total number of EMRIs to be appointed in FY2015 and FY2016, and where each EMRI will be stationed (head office in Pretoria, and regional offices);

d) the curriculum for the training programme which the appointed EMRIs are to receive, as well as details of the service providers who will present the training, and the timeframe for the roll-out of this training;

e) an organogram that indicates the reporting structure(s) for the appointed EMRIs and those still to be appointed in FY2015 and FY2016, including the applicable job levels as determined by the Department of Public Service Administration;

f) the budget available (or, if not available, then the budget required) for FY2015 and FY2016 for the establishment of the EMRIs in the DMR;

g) any operational plans or strategies or to be implemented by the EMRIs in FY2015 and FY2016, including but not limited to:

i. a methodology to determine which mining operations will be prioritised for compliance inspections;

ii. numbers of compliance inspections to be conducted in FY2015 and FY2016 to assess compliance with NEMA and environmental authorisations issued or deemed to be issued under NEMA from 8 December 2014; and

iii. a strategy for administrative and criminal enforcement should non-compliance be detected.