BY ANDREW DLAMINI
MBABANE – The Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, HRH Prince Lonkhokhela, officially launched Phase II of the Eswatini Multi-disciplinary Geoscience Mapping yesterday, to cover about 10 000 kilometers.
This move comes after the completion of Phase I in 2021, which identified minerals such as gold, iron ore, diamond, and copper-nickel-platinum group elements in the Hhohho and Manzini Regions.
The newly initiated Phase II will extend the exploration to the Shiselweni and Lubombo Regions.
During the launch, Prince Lonkhokhela highlighted the strategic importance of the mining industry.
“The country’s economic roadmap of 2018 to 2023 identified the mining industry as one of the pillars for economic recovery of the Kingdom of Eswatini. For investment to take place in this sector of the economy, quality and reliable geoscientific data and information is one of the requirements for potential mining investors to make quick decisions on investing in the kingdom.” Said Prince Lonkhokhela.
Prince Lonkhokhela emphasized the integral role of geoscientific mapping and landscape characterization in stimulating economic growth and attracting investment.
“Geoscientific mapping and characterization of the landscape of the Kingdom of Eswatini forms an integral part in stimulating economic growth and investment. A full geoscientific understanding underpins any efforts towards sustainable development of the kingdom’s potentially vast and untapped onshore mineral resources.” Said Prince Lonkhokhela.
According to Prince Lonkhokhela, speaking in one voice as His majesty King Mswati III reported in Times of Eswatini, said the prime minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini and all EmaSwati present during the people parliament, clearly articulated creating job opportunities for all emaSwati. Therefore, he said the information obtained from this key exercise would be used by investors to open mines and create job opportunities for emaSwati.
The Phase II project encompasses an airborne geophysical survey, integrating high-resolution geophysical data with existing geological and geochemical information. The application of artificial intelligence aims to identify and prioritize potential mineral targets, streamlining the mineral exploration process.
