Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe re-published the Gas Amendment Bill on Friday for public comment despite the scant hope that it will be processed before Parliament dissolves at the end of March. The bill, which will regulate the gas industry's development and make provisions for black economic empowerment, has been in the making for the past five years. It was extensively discussed in Nedlac before it was tabled in Parliament in April 2018. It was then withdrawn by Mantashe in September 2022 without much explanation. Most confusing is that the bill gazetted on Friday appears to be very much the same bill approved by Cabinet and tabled in Parliament in 2018. An extensive process of public hearings was held to consult with industry, labour and the public in 2021 and 2022.
