International resource exploration company Tsodilo Resources says the High Court of Botswana has rendered an order that interdicts and restrains the Mines and Energy Minister – through the Department of Mines or any other department – from receiving, considering or assessing the renewal applications in relation to prospecting licences (PLs) 021 to 024/2018
This is pending the delivery of a judgment in Tsodilo’s review application with respect to PL 021/2018.
"Pursuant to Section 19 of the Mines and Minerals Act, contiguous prospecting licences covering the same period and the same mineral or minerals, the Minister shall, for the purposes of the elimination (reduction) of part of any of the areas thereof, permit the areas covered thereby to be deemed to be one area, the subject of one such prospecting licence,” comments Tsodilo chairperson and CEO James M Bruchs.
“The Xaudum Iron Formation project extends for a known length of some 40 km and traverses most, if not all, of the licences set forth. The effect of granting some of the PLs at one time and not all of the contiguous licences that form the project effectively diminishes the value or potential of the project as it impacts the evaluation and exploration activities,” he adds.
The company believes the Act makes it clear that it is the discretion of the licence holder to determine which areas to retain and which areas to relinquish.
“Given that one of our prayers for relief in our PL020/2018 review application is to realign the five licences so that their durations remain coherent with one another, we felt it timely that any actions with respect to PLs 021 to 024/2018 be stayed as the date for the renewal applications was imminent,” he adds.