JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) − South African Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu on Monday extended the moratorium on new applications for prospecting rights in the country.

The Minister had previously indicated that the moratorium would be lifted in eight provinces on March 1, but had now extended this to March 31.

She also extended the moratorium on new prospecting rights in Mpumalanga to September 31, owing to the extensive work that still had to be done to consider the mining and environmental challenges in the province.

A six month moratorium on new mining right applications was imposed in September last year, to complete an audit of licences granted since the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act was promulgated.

Department of Mineral Resources spokesperson Bheki Khumalo said that the moratorium did not affect the processing of existing prospecting and mining right applications that were received before September last year.