[miningmx.com] — THE Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has confirmed that the moratorium on prospecting right applications in Mpumalanga has been lifted.
Spokesperson Zingaphi Jakuja told Miningmx on Tuesday that the Samrad system, the DMR’s online rights application and processing system, has been accepting applications since October 1.
“The Samrad system has been accepting applications in Mpumalanga since the expiry of the moratorium,” she said.
Mines Minister Susan Shabangu in March extended the ban in the province until September 30, saying the DMR had not been able to deal with “the challenges’ of the province during the nationwide moratorium which was imposed in August last year. The moratorium in the other eight provinces was lifted in April.
Mpumalanga is the province which hosts South Africa’s major coal fields, and many small operators have opened new coal mines there in response to power utility Eskom’s demand for extra coal supplies.
