THE Minerals Regulation Commission’s announcement that it has considered 823 mining-right applications in two weeks is, on the face of it, encouraging. A backlog of 1,672 applications cannot be allowed to frustrate legitimate investors, artisanal miners and cooperatives. Clearing it efficiently is necessary, and the reported participation of women in artisanal mining deserves recognition. But the Commission must not confuse movement in the licensing office with progress in the mining sector. Issuing licences is only one part of its mandate. The real test is what those licences return to our heavily exploited country. According to....