The Department of Mineral Resources & energy is looking into revamping its licensing regime to make it easy for artisanal mining to operate legally in the industry. It hopes the legalisation will discourage dangerous illegal mining, which costs the economy up to R70bn a year, Lerato Mbele is in conversation with MINING ANALYST & RESEARCHER AT BENCHMARKS FOUNDATION, DAVID VAN WYK and Spokesperson for the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy, Makhosonke Buthelezi.