(1)Why has he not finally declared a restriction or prohibition on the granting of any rights or permits in terms of section 49(1) of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), Act 28 of 2002, in relation to the (a) the buffer zone around the Mapungubwe National Park, which was initiated by the former Minister of Mineral Resources, Advocate Ngoako Ramatlhodi, by the publication of his intention to declare a restriction and prohibition in the Government Gazette 38004 of 12 September 2014 and (b) the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site, which was initiated by the former Minister of Mineral Resources, Ms S Shabangu, by the publication of her intention to declare a restriction and prohibition in Government Gazette 34051 of 11 March 2011;
(2) given the environmental significance of the wetlands and grasslands in the Wakkerstroom area and the extreme sensitivity of those wetlands and grasslands to prospecting and mining, why has he not exercised his discretion in terms of section 49(1) of the MPRDA to declare a restriction or prohibition against the granting of new prospecting and mining rights in that area?