/ 18 April 2011

Prospecting licence moratorium lifted

An eight-month moratorium on the granting of prospecting licences has been lifted in all provinces except Mpumulanga, Minerals and Resources minister Susan Shabangu announced on Monday.

Shabangu expected that the moratorium in Mpumulanga would remain in force until the end of September.

The moratorium was put in place to allow the department to audit the prospecting rights which had been granted.

Shabangu said flooding earlier this year delayed the audit and the lifting of the moratorium.

She said officials from her department had conducted 3 266 inspections ofprospecting rights.

The scope of the audits included environmental and black economic empowernment compliance. — Sapa