Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

1. How many mines are there in the Laingsburg Municipality?

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) is not able to indicate the number of mines in Laingsburg Municipality as it is not the competent authority dealing with mining applications. The Department did contact the National Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (“DMRE”), who is the custodian of mineral and petroleum resources in the country. DEA&DP is a commenting authority for all mining-related environmental impact assessment applications. DEA&DP has not yet received a response from the DMRE at the time of this submission. DEA&DP accessed the DMRE’s web-based portal, which indicated that there are no active mines in the Laingsburg Municipality.  The web-based portal can be accessed at the following URL: https://www.dmr.gov.za/mineral-policy-promotion/operating-mines/western-cape. The contact person for the DMRE is the Regional Manager: Western Cape, Mr Pieter Swart at e-mail Pieter.Swart@dmr.gov.za or telephone (021) 427 1000.

2. How many are uranium mines or are extracting uranium?

As indicated above, DEA&DP is not aware of any uranium mines currently extracting uranium in Laingsburg Municipality. Furthermore, the web-based portal indicates that there are no active uranium mines in Laingsburg Municipality. DEA&DP is aware of one prospecting right application which partially falls within the boundaries of Laingsburg Municipality, which was lodged with the DMRE in 2016 in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act No. 28 of 2002). This prospecting right application is being managed by the environmental assessment practitioner, Ferret Mining and Environmental Services and has been assigned a DMRE reference number WC30/5/1/1/2/10251PR. The application is still pending at the time of this submission; however, the DMRE may be contacted for more information on this application.

3. What are the details of the owners of the mines?

DEA&DP is not aware of any mines currently operating in Laingsburg Municipality and therefore does not have any contact details of mine owners.

4. What are the details of any extraction of uranium by these mines in the (i) previous 20 years and (ii) future?

As indicated in paragraphs (b) and (c) above, DEA&DP is not aware of any uranium mines currently operating in Laingsburg Municipality. In terms of possible future mining, the prospecting right application mentioned in paragraph (b) above must first be granted/approved by the DMRE. Upon granting of a prospecting right by the DMRE, and should results of prospecting show favourable volumes of uranium resources available for extraction, the prospecting right holder must then apply for a mining right from the DMRE, and other relevant approvals that would be required by legislation, including the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No 107 of 1998) and the Spatial Planning and the Land Use Management Act, 2013 (Act No 16 of 2013).