- West Wits Mining (WWI) has advised shareholders its mining right application for the Witwatersrand project in South Africa is being reviewed by the relevant Minister
- The exploration and development company has assets in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and in Witwatersrand in South Africa where it is targeting first gold production in 2021
- The Minister has requested further information from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries regarding the potential effect of the project on water infrastructure
- West Wits Chairperson Michael Quinert said while the delay is frustrating, he expects, should there be an issue, it could be resolved through design alterations
- Shares have been trading flat at 10 cents
West Wits Mining (WWI) has advised shareholders the mining right application for its Witwatersrand project in South Africa is being reviewed by the relevant Minister.
The exploration and development company has assets in Western Australia’s Pilbara region and in Witwatersrand in South Africa where it is targeting first gold production in 2021.
The Minister has requested further information from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) regarding the potential effect of the project on water pipeline infrastructure. The department is in the process of providing the information.
West Wits Chairperson Michael Quinert said while the delay is frustrating, he expects, should there be an issue, it could be resolved through design alterations.
“The request for further information appears to be specific and technical in nature. This provides a level of confidence that the matter will not cause undue delay and, if needed, could be resolved through design alterations.”
“As such, the company is confident that the WBP’s application will adequately address existing water infrastructure requirements to satisfy the Minister’s queries. The company remains in a state of readiness to initiate proceedings to compel a decision should that be necessary,” he furthered.
This is not the first delay the company has encountered while awaiting the result of its mining right application with the DEFF experiencing a backlog of applications due to COVID-19 disruptions.
In June 2020, West Wits received environmental approval for the project southwest of Johannesburg. This was, however, followed by an appeal against the environmental authorisation process.
Shares have been trading flat at 10 cents at 10:02 am AEDT.