THE DEPARTMENT of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said yesterday it was aware of stories in the media, including images and videos that are circulating on social media, about the purported discovery of diamonds in KwaHlathi outside Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal.
The DMRE said it would dispatch a task team comprising geological and mining experts to the area to determine the veracity of the stories and to conduct a proper inspection of the site and of what had been discovered in the area.
The teams would form today and would include the department’s enforcement and compliance unit, to conduct an inspection of the site, experts from Mintek (the Council for Mineral Technology) and the Council for Geoscience, who could provide an opinion on the mineral composition of rocks and analyse an area’s potential for mineral resources.
The team would also include the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator as the custodian of all matters related to precious minerals in the country. It said the team was en-route to the site to collect samples, and an analysis would be conducted, and a formal technical report would be issued in due course.
The DMRE said it was also working with relevant authorities and stakeholders, including traditional communities, traditional leadership and the local and district municipalities, to bring calm to the area and to ensure that the relevant information was communicated to the affected communities, in order to address the matter as speedily as possible.
The DMRE joined the Office of the Premier of KZN in calling for calm and patience while the task team conducted its investigation. The DMRE also requested all involved to stop their operations and leave the site to allow the DMRE to conduct an inspection.
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