By EPN Reporter
MBABANE – Bulembu Mine, which is famous for asbestos, does not only have that mineral to be mined, but there are several others that are available.
Minerals such as gold, silver, and iron ore are also found at Bulembu. This is according to Kobolondo Mine Eswatini. The mining company revealed this yesterday to Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela.
The company met the minister to express an interest in operating the mine at Havelock Mine. The minister, when meeting the company, was in the company of Principal Secretary Dorcas Dlamini and other officials from the ministry, such as the Acting Commissioner of Mines and Under Secretaries.
KME has made their interest clear to the Minister on mining dumps of the defunct Havelock Asbestos dumps. The valuable minerals include gold, silver, nickel and iron ore. His Majesty the King’s vision is to use the mining sector as a catalyst for boosting the country’s economy and creating numerous job opportunities.
This is happening at the time when mining companies such as Magomba Mine and Micheal Lee Enterprises are set to mine coal and green chert at Mpaka and Malolotja, respectively. At the same time, the natural resources ministry has embarked on the second phase of the Multidisciplinary Geoscience Survey Mapping, which is going to cost E18 million.
The second phase was launched in December last year by the then acting Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Jabulani Mabuza. The exercise will be locating available minerals in the Shiselweni and Lubombo Regions.
According to local media reports, from 2021 to 2022, the ministry conducted Phase 1 of multi-disciplinary Geoscience Mapping exercise in the Manzini and Hhohho regions, which was worth E17 million. The exercise was aimed at identifying and prioritising mineral targets in the country.
The E17 million worth survey was groundbreaking as a new group of minerals from Copper-Nickel-Platinum Group Elements were discovered in three different areas in the Hhohho Region, which are Siphocosini, Mhlambanyatsi and LaMgabhi-Luyengo.
