MINING TALKS: Prime Minister Sam Hinds and local officials with the South African delegation. (GINA photo)
A HIGH-LEVEL delegation from South Africa yesterday paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sam Hinds, as part of a brief fact-finding mission to Guyana.

The team, comprising the Director General of South Africa's Department of Minerals and Energy, Mr. Sondile Nogxina, South Africa's High Commissioner to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Thanduyise Chiliza, and officers from the minerals and energy department, arrived in Guyana Tuesday for two days.

Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Mr. Robeson Benn, told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the visit by the South African team is a fact-finding mission through the Caribbean and Guyana, to identify areas of cooperation in the mineral and energy sectors between the two sides.

Out of their two-day visit, which included encounters with the GGMC

Tuesday, the two sides have drafted a nine-point Memorandum of

Understanding for consideration of future cooperation between Guyana and South Africa.

To further cement bilateral arrangements, the GGMC Commissioner projected that exchanges in the areas of training, technology transfer, mineral investment promotion, and technical visits are likely.

Guyana and South Africa have previously enjoyed cooperation through the expertise of an Engineer who performed the evaluation of remedies for the Omai dam breach that occurred in 1995.

At the moment, Migrate Mining, a South African exploration company, is conducting exploration on significant properties on concessions in Guyana's interior, in the Berbice River and in the West Pakaraima region.

In addition, an advanced diamond processing plant based on South

African technology has been recently established in the Potaro district on a new diamond mine.

Guyana last year ratified the Kimberley Process Convention governing the exportation of diamonds. This convention was prompted by the onslaught of armed conflicts in the African continent, induced through the proceeds of the sale of rough diamonds.

The Kimberly Process will operate as the official pace setter for diamond exportation, limiting the possibilities of illicit trade and

providing traces of attempted smuggling.