Platinum miners in South Africa have 20 days to provide ideas on lapsed and revoked mineral rights as the government looks to drive forward exploration in the country, reports Mining Weekly.

A Government Gazette notice inviting comments on the implementation of a new process of applying for lapsed or revoked prospecting and mineral rights was placed by the Department of Mineral Resources (DME) this week, according to mineral resources minister Susan Shabangu.

Speaking at the official opening of the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba, she explained that the government wants to encourage more investment in the mining sector and is keen to drive forward exploration projects.

The government will support exploration as part of the Mining Industry Growth and Development Task Team (Migdett) and has earmarked cash for geoscientific research by the Council for Geoscience over the next three years.

"This is the Migdett spirit of collaboration that we have to nurture if we have to take the mining industry to its rightful place," the minister is reported as saying.

Mining Weekly notes that the South African Mineral Resources Administration System, which enables companies to apply for rights remotely, has suffered problems in the past, but these have been solved and there are now well over 3,000 applications successfully lodged.

Ms Shabangu also reaffirmed the government's stance on nationalisation, saying the African National Congress task team's report showed such a move would be bad for the country.

South African publication Business Day said this report argued that nationalisation would be too costly and unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the country's national planning minister, Trevor Manuel, reassured platinum and other mining companies by sector would not be hit by "surprise" new taxes.

"I don't think that surprises are good for an industry like this, and this is likely to be the trend taken by government in introducing change," he said.

Sources:

20 days for lapsed rights ideas as govt embarks on big exploration push (07/02/12)

South African Minister Announces No Mining Tax Surprises (06/02/12)

UPDATE 1-S.Africa will not spring new tax on mines-minister (06/02/12)

ANC study ‘advises against’ mine grabs (02/02/12)

ANC Study Rejects Nationalization of South Africa Mines, Business Day Says (02/02/12)

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