Fin24 reports that Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane has defended the new Mining Charter and said on Monday that "business should do business" and leave governing and legislative decision-making to government.  

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ANC's National Policy Conference.  The Chamber of Mines has applied for an urgent court interdict to stop the implementation of the Charter, which was announced on 15 June with onerous new empowerment targets.  Zwane said government would engage with the Chamber on its concerns, but held a firm view that the new Charter was in accordance with ANC policy and would therefore be implemented.  He also said government was partly to blame for the slow implementation of policies, as it was spending most of its time negotiating with business.

• Read this report by Lizeka Tandwa in full at Fin24

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