Dear Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources,

I would like to find out the reasons for declaring the Council for Geoscience (which is a Geological survey) as national security point. This is supposed to be a public institution whose mandate is among others to advise, promote and make available geological information to the public, private, government and universities, who in turn use the information for policy formulation, investment decisions and research. It is also a science council whose mandate is geological research. Now is it a national security point with armed security guards and accessing geological information very much restricted and cumbersome.

The public used to walk in and out of the survey for advise and access to geological information, but this is no longer the case.