‘Shiny stones’ in KwaHlathi are not diamonds

HUNDREDS of hopeful South Africans, who had descended on KwaHlathi, outside Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, were left disappointed following the findings of a preliminary report that the shiny stones, resembling diamonds, found there are actually quartz crystals.

“The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds as some had hoped. In fact, what has been discovered are quartz crystals, which are common across the Karoo Supergroup, with extensional fracture planes, within and along the contact of Karoo dolerite sill,” said Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) MEC Ravi Pillay.

He further explained that KwaHlathi, a rural area in Ladysmith, is not located in a diamond zone.

“The preliminary report shows that the site of the informal mining practises is geographically located on the edge of the Karoo dolerite sill, which is not in a zone where diamond occurrences are present. This was further confirmed by visual, geological and chemical analyses that were conducted,” said Pillay.

The quartz crystals found in the area are worth way less than what diamonds are worth – though their actual worth is yet to be determined.

“The value, if any, of the quartz crystals is yet to be established but it must be mentioned that the value of quartz crystals is very low compared to that of diamonds,” said Pillay.

“Extensive geoscience studies are required in the area, at a regional scale, to investigate possibilities of groundwater resources, as well as any other lithologies that may be host to other natural resources which may contribute to local development and the economy of the province,” Pillay added.

The Council for Geoscience also sent experts, who worked on the analysis of the stones.

“We had the privilege of being invited to bring our scientific expertise and analyse whether the stone found in KwaHlathi area was a diamond.

“The stone was unfortunately not a diamond, but a quartz crystal,” said Mosa Mabuza, Geoscience chief executive. “We will implement a geological mapping programme, to try and address the extreme water shortage crisis in the area.”

The illegal mining frenzy also had another progressive turn, as the area is now targeted for economic development.

“People raised a lot of issues during the visit. We saw that the community in that area was poverty stricken and that their roads needed re-gravelling and black tops. A lot of job opportunities will be created once we fix the roads,” said MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Peggy Nkonyeni.

She urged people to withdraw from further illegal mining activities.