Prospekteerregte in die Suid-Afrikaanse mineraal- en mynreg

Abstract

Prospektering is een van die eerste en belangrikste stappe in die mineraalontginningsproses en dit word ondersoek teen die agtergrond van die Mineraalwet 50 van 1991, wat die belangrikste "mynwette" herroep en die Suid-Afrikaanse mineraal- en mynreg in vele opsigte op 'n heel nuwe grondslag geplaas het. Die hoofdoel met hierdie proefskrif is om prospekteerregte te sistematiseer en te bepaal of dit beperkte saaklike regte daarstel. Ten aanvang word bepaal welke aktiwiteite prospektering daarstel en welke stowwe regtens as minerale kwalifiseer. Daar word gekyk na die regte waarvan prospekteerregte dee! vorm of waaruit dit afgelei word, naamlik eiendomsreg en mineraalregte. Die afskeiding van minerale van grond, die afskeiding van mineraalregte van grondeiendomsreg en die afskeiding van prospekteerregte van mineraalregte en grondeiendomsreg, asook die inhoud van en beperkings op die uitoefening van prospekteer- en mineraalregte, word ook ondersoek. Daar word veral aangetoon dat mineraalregte nie so wyd is as wat algemeen aanvaar word nie en dat dit 6f by die af skeiding van die roerende minerale tot niet gaan of uitgeput raak 6f in eiendomsreg daarop oorgaan. Prospekteerregte word meestal verleen by wyse van prospekteerkontrakte, waarvan daar verskillende verskyningsvorme bestaan en waarvan die een wat in die Registrasie van Aktes Wet 47 van 1937 omskryf word, as uitgangspunt geneem word. Aangesien die reg om te myn ook die reg om te prospekteer insluit, word die verlening van mynregte en antler verkrygings van prospekteerregte ook behandel. Alvorens gemeneregtelike prospekteerregte egter uitgeoefen mag word, meet magtiging daarvoor by die staat verkry word. Die verlening van statutere prospekteer- en mynmagtigings het by die inwerkingtreding van die Mineraalwet 50 van 1991 grondige veranderings ondergaan wat tesame met die relevante oorgangsbepalings ondersoek word ten einde die uitwerking van die wet op prospekteerregte te bepaal. Die vereistes vir en die regsaard van die verskillende regte word ondersoek ten einde 'n oorsig van prospekteerregte daar te stel en dit vlugtig met veral Australiese reg te vergelyk. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking geraak dat blote prospekteerregte nie beperkte saaklike regte daarstel nie.

Prospecting is one of the first and most important steps in the minerals exploitation process and is examined against the background of the Minerals Act so of 1991, which repealed the most important "mining" legislation and in many ways placed the South African mining and minerals law on a completely new basis. The main purpose of this thesis is to systematise prospecting rights and to establish whether they constitute limited real rights. It is at the outset determined which activities constitute prospecting and which materials qualify in law as minerals. The rights from which prospecting rights are derived or of which they form part, namely ownership and mineral rights, are considered. The severing of minerals from land, the severing of mineral rights from landownership and the severing of prospecting rights from mineral rights and landownership, as well as the contents of and limitations on the exercising of prospecting and mineral rights, are also examined. It is in particular shown that mineral rights are not as comprehensive as is generally accepted and that they either terminate or are exhausted upon severance of the movable minerals from the land or are converted into ownership thereof. Prospecting rights are mostly granted by way of prospecting contracts, of which different varieties exist and of which the one defined in the Deeds Registries Act 47 of 1937 is taken as the starting point. Since the right to mine includes the right to prospect, mining rights and other acquisitions of prospecting rights are also considered. Before common law prospecting rights may be exercised, however, authority to do so must be obtained from the state. Upon the commencement of the Minerals Act 50 of 1991, the granting of statutory prospecting and mining authorisations underwent fundamental changes, which are examined with the relevant transitional provisions to determine the effect of the act. The requirements for and the juridical nature of the various rights are considered in order to establish an overview of prospecting rights and briefly to compare them mainly with Australian law. The conclusion is reached that mere prospecting rights do not constitute limited real rights.