Mineral Resources minister enters ‘diamond’ frenzy

MINERAL Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has weighed in on the “diamond” discovery frenzy that has people flocking to Ladysmith.

Last week, a herd boy who was looking for lost livestock apparently stumbled across a stone and claimed he had discovered a diamond. The news spread like wildfire and scores of people rushed to the Kwahlathi village outside Ladysmith to dig for “diamonds”.

Mantashe told the Daily News yesterday that his department was in the process of testing the minerals found in the village to determine whether or not these are diamonds. “We will then issue a media statement detailing the way forward for the community once we know the facts,” said Mantashe.

He refused to comment on the benefits to the people living on the land should the minerals be diamonds. He said people should wait for the department to finish the testing process before asking many questions.

“Don’t put the cart before the horse, otherwise you would cause a stampede there. There should be a scientific process.”

The discovery excitement is apparently fuelled by last week's landmark judgment by the Pietermaritzburg High Court that the Ingonyama Trust Board had no right to collect rent from the people living on their ancestral land in the province. The court said the land belonged to the people.

Department spokesperson Solomon Phetla told the Daily News that the team of experts would be on site on Tuesday and start taking samples. He said the team would meet the residents and the local leadership.

The activity has caused concern as people were seen not adhering to the Covid-19 regulations. Many were not wearing masks and not practising social distancing. This prompted Premier Sihle Zikalala to intervene and warn people about the danger of illegal mining as well as spread of Covid-19. He called for calm and urged people to wait for the department’s test results.

Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the number of illegal miners increased during the day to an estimated 1 500. She said police had been deployed and were monitoring the situation.

Illegal miner Phindile Hadebe said she heard people talking about going there and followed them. She was unemployed and wanted to build a home for her children.

Dr Chris de Beer, Durban University of Technology head of department: Fine Art and Jewellery Design and Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, said the mineral balls discovered in the village could well be quartz and not diamonds.