KODA and Community Members Work together for Change

On Mandela Day the elderly were given a three course meal, manicures, pedicures and foot massages.The ladies with black long sleeve shirts on are from Woolworths, those in white from social development and those in orange at the back from EPWP The rest are KODAstaff volunteers and community members that give up valuable time for those in need.The department of social development also donated paint for the KODAbuilding. Woolworths gave R6000 and EPWPassisted with the digging of trenches around the KODAbuilding.

THANK YOU...!!!

How To Find us

When you come over the bridge from the industrial area to Rosedale we’re the first grey building on the left please come and pay us a visit and see what we do.

Vrydag 31 Maart 2023

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), in collaboration with the State InformationTechnologyAgency (Sita), has issued “a Request for Bids in respect to the design, implementation, maintenance, and support of the Mining Licensing System”.This means that a huge deterrent to investment in South Africa’s mining sector, especially on the exploration front, will hopefully be rectified.

The DMRE and Sita made the announcement in a media statement issued on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, the tender was still not available on the website of either government department — or at least on the tender section of both sites — but presumably, it will be published this week.

Indeed, after several wasted years, the DMRE now seems to be in a hurry.The DMRE and Sita will host a virtual compulsory briefing session with prospective bidders on Friday, 31 March. And the headline of the statement calls for the development of a “bespoke” mining licensing system — so one that will be made to order

“The new Mining Licensing System, which will be customised to SouthAfrica’s needs, is expected to enhance efficiency and transparency in the application, granting, and management of prospecting and mining rights or permits.

“Through this system, the department seeks to improve the accuracy and accessibility of all relevant information by all stakeholders.The system must further empower the DMRE to accelerate the processing of applications within a reasonable timeframe,” the DMRE said.

“The procurement of the Mining Licensing System is a key milestone for SouthAfrica’s mining industry, particularly as the government implements the country’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan.”

As we have reported many times before, the DMRE’s Samrad system for lodging mining rights applications is widely regarded as dysfunctional.The backlog for such applications reached more than 5,000 at one point a couple of years ago, but the DMRE says this has been significantly reduced.

What the industry has long called for is a proper mining cadastre like the ones used by neighbouring Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. Even Zimbabwe has one coming soon.This is an online portal that gives the public easy access to the state of play of mining and exploration permits in a jurisdiction. It also allows companies to apply for various kinds of mining or exploration rights and permits. In short, it shines the light of transparency on the sector and makes it easier for investors to invest in it.

The lack of one is seen as a key reason SouthAfrica’s share of global exploration spending remains below 1%, well below the 5% target within three to five years that DMRE Minister Gwede Mantashe publicly set in 2019.

It could take a year or more to get a functional mine licensing system and cadastre up and running. But the ball is at least rolling now. - DM /BM