[miningmx] — IMPERIAL Crown Trading 289 (ICT) on Wednesday questioned the
status of Kumba Iron Ore’s 78.6% mining right over Sishen mine, saying the firm
had not submitted the converted right which was granted to it by Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for registration on time.
Delivering arguments in the North Gauteng High Court case over the disputed 21.4%
mineral right in Sishen, ICT’s Senior Counsel Cedric Puckrin said that according to
the court papers filed by Kumba subsidiary Sishen Iron Ore Company (Sioc), the miner had only lodged the rights for registration on December 9 2009.
The DMR awarded the converted right to Kumba on 5 May 2008. Two dates are given in court papers as to when Kumba was notified about the conversion, namely May 12 and May 28.
According to the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Development Act, converted
rights had to be lodged for registration within 90 days.
According to Puckrin, there is a duty to lodge withing 90 days. “You must register,”
he said. “The question that has to be posed is what happens when you haven’t
protected yourself by lodging?”
