The Minister for Minerals, Kitso Mokaila last week, answering a question in parliament revealed that in the last 10 years (2003-2013) 290 licenses were issued for diamonds, 52 for metals, six for oil, and 819 for other minerals. A total 192 companies have been issued prospecting licenses inside the CKGR, according to the minister. However, Mokaila said they have since cancelled the majority of the licenses held by Strata since they were not active for a long time. The company has since taken the matter to court, parliament heard. “Prospectors are expected to produce an environmental management plan to ensure minimal impacts on wildlife and vegetation.
Permits given to prospectors by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) also have strict conditions which the prospector is expected to adhere to,” he added. According to the minister the thick sand cover (around 80 meters of sand cover) in the CKGR makes it difficult, if not impossible, to collect bulk samples through techniques such as trenching or trial pit.
