(1) (a) What total number of applications to erect wind farms in the Eastern Cape were approved by his department, (b) what total number of wind farms are erected in the Eastern Cape currently following the approval of such applications and (b) where is each wind farm located in each case;
(2) whether his department has identified other areas in the Eastern Cape for potential wind farms; if not, why not; if so, (a) where will each such project be located and (b) on what date is it envisaged that construction will (i) commence and (ii) be completed?
1. (a) The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy does not receive applications for the erection of Wind Farms but receive bids following a request for proposals. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is probably best placed to provide this information based on environmental impact assessments applications they receive.
(b) Find below a list of wind-based projects in the Eastern Cape procured ...
(a) What has he found to be the challenges that are currently experienced in erecting more wind farms in the Eastern Cape and (b) how much energy in megawatts does his department anticipate will be generated from the wind turbines located in the Eastern Cape?
(a) There are currently no known challenges. Projects are expected to manage the process of securing land use rights from landowners and ensure compliance with environmental requirements.
The projects are also dependent on the availability of grid capacity which Eskom has indicated is starting to become a limitation.
(b) The current procured and contracted capacity of Wind Energy Facilities in the Eastern Cape is ...
1) What total amount has been set aside for rehabilitation for Ghunu Diamonds mine at the Brazil Farm, Kleinzee;
2) Whether the contract for bulk sampling has been increased; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, how has this changed the amount for rehabilitation;
3) Whether the (a) impact study and (b) public participation was completed when his department awarded the contract regarding Ghunu Diamonds mine; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, will he furnish Mrs V van Dyk with a copy of the impact study and the public participation that was done at the time;
4) Whether any of the employees of Ghunu Diamonds mine have been arrested for being in possession of any fauna, tortoises in particular, and flora; if not, what is the position
1. An amount of R210 000.00 financial provision is provided.
2. The quantity of the bulk sample is clearly described in the approved Prospecting work programme and has not been increased. Rehabilitation is described in the approved EMP
3. (a) Yes.
(b) Yes. All the studies were done copies are readily available in our offices in Springbok for collection as they can not be ...
Whether, with regard to the regulation of generation of electricity by private parties, which is currently capped at 10MW, the Government will increase the limit to allow for more capacity to avert electricity challenges facing the Republic; if not, why not; if so, what are the further relevant details? NW1945E
Yes.
Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act will be amended to increase the NERSA licensing threshold for embedded generation projects from 1 MW to 100 MW.
1) What total amount was set aside by West Coast Resources at Koingnaas for rehabilitation;
2) Whether the specified amount was paid over to his department; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
3) In light of West Coast Resources, under Lower Orange River, being in business rescue, (a) what is the name of the (i) person and/or (ii) institution who will be performing the rehabilitation and (b) on what date? NW1858E
(1) An amount of R1,253,386,427.00
(2) Yes, the mentioned amount is held by the Department.
(3) (a) (i) West coast Resources is still the holder.
(ii) West Coast Resources.
(b) The date cannot be confirmed as the business rescue process is still underway.
Whether he will furnish Mr J R B Lorimer with a list of all the (a) mining and (b) prospecting licences granted in the area of the eMalahleni Local Municipality in Mpumalanga in the past three financial years; if not, why not; if so, in each case, what is the (i) geographic location of each mine and (ii) status of each specified mine in terms of mining taking place, care and maintenance, expiry date of each licence, rehabilitation and/or abandonment of each mine? NW1827E
ANNEXURE A
list of all the (a) mining and (b) prospecting licences granted in the eMalahleni Local Municipality in Mpumalanga in the past three financial years
|
Seq No.
|
NAME OF THE COMPANY
|
REF NUMBER
|
STATUS
|
LOCATION
|
TYPE OF RIGHT
|
GRANTING/ISSUING DATE
|
EXPIRY
|
OPERATION OR NOT
|
|
1
|
Kusile mining (Pty) Ltd
|
MP30/5/1/2/2/10049MR
|
GRANTED
|
ROODEBLOEM 58 IS, ptn 1 and 2
|
NEW
|
2019/03/11
|
2029/03/10
|
Not operational ... |
(1) With reference to the mining permit granted for the farm Boschmanspoort adjacent to the Optimum coal mine, (a) on what dates was the mining operation inspected by officials of his department and (b) what were the findings of such inspections;
(2) (a) what consultation was done with the landowner before the permit was issued and (b) for what reason (i) was a certain company (name furnished) allowed to mine without a permit as was subsequently found by the court and (ii) was information relating to the specified permit not shared with the landowner after the commencement of mining;
(3) whether his department has been informed that critical parts of the application for the permit were allegedly cut and pasted from other applications; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) what are the reasons that (a) it took his department one year to acknowledge the request to be furnished with the permit by Ms A M M Weber in February 2020 and (b) the information has still not been provided;
(5) what (a) internal investigations is his department conducting into the issuing of this permit and the subsequent court case and (b) actions have been taken as a result? NW1942E
1. a) On the 25th of October 2019.
b) Inspection findings;
- No mining activities were taking place onsite at the day of inspection.
- The access gate was locked with security guard onsite.
- Mine infrastructure onsite, include office, access and haul road, opencast pit, overburden stockpile, opened trenches with berms, coal stockpile.
2. a) There is no mining permit issued on the area that was ...
Given that mining and prospecting rights can be obtained with a shelf company that could incur major financial liabilities, what are the reasons that applications for mining rights do not require Financial Intelligence Centre Act, Act 38 of 2001, information from applicants, including banking details, tax numbers and proof of residence? NW1829E
Section 16 for prospecting right and 22 for mining right read with Regulation 5 and 10 of the MPRDA outlines granting criteria for such rights.
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1) What is the position regarding the mining licence of the Shiva Uranium and Gold mine;
2) Whether buyers for the mine are still being sought; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
3) Whether there have been any offers to buy the mine; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) what are the reasons the offers were refused, (b) are there any prospects for a sale this year and (c) on what date will his department withdraw the mining right if no buyer is secured;
4) Whether his department communicates with the previous employees of the mine; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (a) how and (b) on what date;
5) What (a) is the position regarding the mine’s rehabilitation guarantee, (b) will the estimated cost of rehabilitation be and (c) amount of it will be funded by the rehabilitation guarantee?
(1) Shiva Uranium has been issued with three mining rights, and they are all valid
(2) This matter is still before the Business Rescue Practitioner (BRP) and is yet to be finalised. The Department does not get to be involved in the process of appointing the potential buyers, it is only once purchase has been concluded wherein an application to transfer ownership would be ...
With regard to his statement during the Mini Plenary of his department’s Budget Vote concerning the raising of the electricity generation licencing threshold to 10MW, alternatively 50MW, (a) on what date was the survey conducted, (b) what was the format of the survey, (c) what were the exact questions asked and (d)(i) what was the total number of respondents and (ii) what total number of respondents were (aa) in favour of limiting the threshold to 10MW and (bb) in favour of raising the threshold above 10MW? NW1823E
a) The word “survey” was used to refer to public comments received by the Department following the gazetting of Schedule II of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA) in relation to the threshold for embedded generation licencing.
b) The comments were received through the post and email.
c) There were no questions as comments were on the gazette notice.
d) (i) Over 15000 comments were ...
