Mining rights system can facilitate graft – watchdog

Corruption Watch has identified a number of shortcomings in the awarding of mining and prospecting rights‚ which it believes facilitate corruption. It said problems in the mining application process gave rise to corruption between mining companies‚ government authorities and community leaders‚ often to the detriment of mining-affected communities, notes a TimesLIVE report. The organisation said one of the problems identified was the low usage and unreliable accessibility of the online portal to submit mining applications which is administered by the SA Mineral Resource Administration System (SAMRAD). This results in the manual lodging of applications – itself a corruption risk. ‘While government‚ mining companies and even the Chamber of Mines are aware of the problems with the SAMRAD system‚ it appears no corrective measures have been taken by government‚ nor does it look like any are going to be taken‚’ Corruption Watch said in its report.