BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Mining should significantly contribute in increasing the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country.
This was said by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini when he met the Mines and Minerals Board (MMB) at Private and Cabinet Offices in Hospital Hill, Mbabane on Thursday (March 28, 2024). The PM met with members of the board, who were led by MMB Chairman Prince Guduza. The board was in the company of Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela.
Speaking on his Facebook page, Dlamini said His Majesty’s Government believed that in mining, there was a huge potential to significantly improve the country’s economy. “We must aim to increase mining’s contribution to our GDP, which currently stands at only 0.2 percent,” Dlamini said.
The MMB highlighted the challenges they faced as they carried out their mandate, which included limited expertise and the relevant capacity needed to do a proper analysis and monitoring of the industry as well as inadequate working tools.
The Premier pledged support, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, to the Board and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, particularly with regard to the strengthening of the sector’s monitoring systems and improving information flow between the Board and Government. This would ensure that Eswatini derived maximum benefits from the mining industry, according to the Prime Minister.
He also tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, as well as the MMB to jointly develop a comprehensive strategy that would highlight how the country could improve the mining sector. The strategy should also highlight how Emaswati could directly benefit from the mining industry.
The Ministry would lead the process of developing the Terms of Reference for this strategy, according to the Premier.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy has embarked on the second phase of the Multidisciplinary Geoscience Survey Mapping, which is going to cost E18 million. Like the first phase of the mapping, Govenrment wants to locate mineral resources, with an aim of improving the country’s economy and create jobs for unemployed Emaswati, especially the youth.
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.
