Modern Mining May 2024

JUNIOR MINING

government for an off-the-shelf cadastral system, the DMRE has finally announced the preferred bidder for the mining resource management system - the PMG Consortium. The consortium is a conglomeration of three companies, namely Pacific GeoTech Systems, MITS Institute and Gemini GIS and Environmental Services. Canadian-based Pacific GeoTech Systems has more than two decades of experience delivering online resource management systems. “While Pacific GeoTech Systems offers significant experience implementing the cadastral system in Canada and particularly in British Columbia, it does not have experience implementing the system in Africa or South Africa, for that matter. As such, the existing methodology and model will need to be adapted to South African mining needs. I expect local partners will play an integral role in guiding the Canadian expert in the implementation process.” According to Mitchell, when implementing the system, Pacific GeoTech Systems will need to consider South Africa’s extensive and diverse miner ology and the country’s long history of mining. “Implementing a cadastral system in South Africa is different from implementing one in Botswana or Namibia, for instance, as those countries are primar ily diamond producing destinations – although they

must be considered, including consent for a five-year time frame for a prospecting right wherein the appli cant provides a project update every two years, with the DMRE monitoring activities at the site regularly. According to Mitchell, it is far more expedient to extend the time-frames on an existing mining or prospecting right than requiring the applicant to reapply for the licence every two years. Cadastral system Following years of the mining industry bemoaning the disastrous SAMRAD system and pleading with

A functional mining cadastral system is an online portal that displays a country’s mineral wealth in a way that is accessible to the public.

12  MODERN MINING  May 2024