Chief Inspector of Mines David Msiza and South African mining luminary Bernard Swanepoel
Photo by: Duane Daws
Botswana is the easiest country in which to carry out junior mining activities, a digital vote held during the recent Junior Indaba showed, with Botswana receiving the highest vote from the 160 people attending.
Botswana, at 42% of the digital vote, had double South Africa’s 21%, with Namibia coming in at 16%.
During digital voting at the conference, chaired by South African mining luminary Bernard Swanepoel, 49% also perceived that South Africa’s legal environment had worsened.
More than two-thirds regard the junior mining sector as being overregulated and a third claimed that it was impossible to do “honest” junior mining business in South Africa.
Chief Inspector of Mines David Msiza, attending the conference on behalf of Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi, expressed regret at the perceptions, which he believed could be dispelled through better communication.
Chamber of Mines of South Africa president Mike Teke emphasised the strategic importance of juniors and Msiza spoke of the need to go back to basics in exploration in South Africa.