LETTER: Underground and underhand

I was wondering whether the long list of Napier-type applications we are seeing (Features, February 8-14) are connected to the recently established Junior Mining Exploration Fund (JMEF).

What many of these new applications appear to have in common are newcomers who searched the internet for sites for which they can first apply for a prospecting right, followed by an application to the JMEF for “assistance”.

This “assistance” will perhaps not have to be spent on doing any expensive prospecting, as getting a geologist to recycle the already existing data into a “nothing has been found” report will be inexpensive.

I also noted that in respect of my own land now facing at least three similar applications (and where mining is actually banned by environmental legislation), the consultants involved appear to enjoy a lot of support from the department of mineral resources & energy officials dealing with the applications.

Brahm du Plessis
Stellenbosch

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