Protect our platinum - Kasrils

2004-10-05 13:36

Johannesburg - Citing oil as a cause of instability in the Middle East and Iraq, South Africa's intelligence chief said his country must take steps to protect its sought-after platinum reserves "for the benefit of our people."

"The struggle for limited resources such as oil has seen a century of instability in the Middle East and the cycle of intervention and resistance of which the present upheaval in Iraq is just another tragic chapter," Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils said in an address late on Monday.

The minister spoke of platinum as a key component to develop an alternative energy source, the hydrogen fuel cell.

"Platinum is being advanced as a possible catalyst to convert hydrogen into this new form of energy.

"If successful, then we in platinum-rich South Africa, are sitting on 86% of the new energy source of the world," he said.

"It is important that we take the necessary security steps to ensure stability and solidarity in our region and continent, and protect our resources for the benefit of our people," said Kasrils, who was addressing a national security conference.

South Africa is the world's leading producer of platinum, which its Reserve Bank said propelled economic growth in the first six months of 2004.

Miners working for the two top groups, Impala Platinum and Anglo Platinum, launched a strike last week to demand better wages.

In his address, the minister drew a parallel between countries that have energy resources and instability.

Kasrils spoke of attempts to "destabilise West Africa" in the wake of newly discovered oil reserves, a veiled reference to Equatorial Guinea where mercenaries were arrested in Malabo and Harare on charges of plotting a coup there.

Mark Thatcher, the son of the former British prime minister, was arrested in August and charged with helping to finance the alleged plot to topple veteran President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

- AFP