… Mystery of Dvokolwayo diamond deposit solved
BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – Multi-generational national wealth.
This is what the new discovery of major minerals implies for the Kingdom of Eswatini. The discovery of four major mineral targets in the Manzini and Hhohho Regions was announced today by the acting Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jabulani Mabuza.
The discovery was made following the completion of Phase I of the Multi-Disciplinary Geoscience Mapping exercise which was carried out in April 2022 using a fixed-wing aircraft.
The mineral targets discovered were for gold, iron ore, diamond and Copper-Nickel-Platinum group elements. Phase II and III of the exercise are yet to be conducted in the Lubombo and Shiselweni regions, according to a statement posted on Government’s official social media channels.
Speaking at the announcement of the mineral discoveries, the minister revealed that Gold mineralisation is confirmed in areas northwest of the country. It stretches from Nsingizini area in the north to Lomati (current Lomati Mine lease), Luhhumaneni area and Forbes Reef area in the south, he said.
“As much as some of the areas were known, a much bigger deposit size has been identified from the models. Iron ore targets were identified from various areas north of the current Ngwenya Iron Ore Mine. Three of the deposits lie in the Malolotja Game Park being Makonjwa Hills and Luhhumaneni. There is another target north of the current Lomati Mine,” said the minister.
Minister Mabuza also said the interpretation of the collected data revealed a large area of otherwise unknown Copper-Nickel-Platinum Group Elements, which is split in three target areas – Siphocosini, Mhlambanyatsi and Lamgabhi-Luyengo.
“The mystery of the Dvokolwayo diamond deposit has been unravelled. For a longtime it has confused geologists as to how there is only one diamondiferous kimberlite when the general understanding is that kimberlites occur in clusters. Three diamond targets have been revealed from the survey surrounding the dormant Dvokolwayo Diamond Mine,” added the minister.
He went on to note that this survey has drastically improved Government’s understanding of the geological terrain northwest of the country, adding that ground truthing will now commence. He detailed that this will involve ground geophysics, soil sampling for geochemical analysis and drilling for subsurface investigations.
“The exercise came at the right time to help enable decision making on mineral exploration and exploitation. The results of the exercise have updated and improved the mineral inventory hosted by the Geological Survey Department,” said the minister.
The further surveying and research into Eswatini minerals was a source of curiosity last year when an aircraft flew around the designated regions with a giant plate under it. Many people took to social media to ask about what the aircraft could possibly be doing, before a national announcement was made about the exercise.
Minister Mabuza noted that the Kingdom of Eswatini recognises the importance of geoscience in economic development, citing that it is for this reason that the country made a decision to invest in the collection of high resolution geophysical data using a fixed-wing aircraft.
