DURBAN - Miners at the KwaHlati area outside Ladysmith say they are hoping to strike it rich with the stones they have mined so far at the site.
There has been a “diamond rush” in the area after a number of glass stones were found.
Speaking to The Mercury on Tuesday at the site, one of the miners, Smiso Simelane, said he had been mining for the past seven days.
After collecting a number of the precious stones, Simelane said he believed his find would be his gateway to a “soft life”.
“I believe I’ll never have to work again and I will continue to mine until I’m happy with what I have. I have been here since Tuesday last week and even if they say this is a useless stone, that’s their business,” he said as he continued to dig.
Another miner, Celubuhle Ziqubu, 46, said she had been digging at the site since last week.
Ziqubu, a mother of two, saw this as an opportunity to escape poverty.
“I’m unemployed and I’m suffering. I first heard about this from the local boys who were heading to this mine and I decided to follow.
“None of us know if this is real diamonds or not, but we are all hopeful,” said Ziqubu.
The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay, was expected to meet the community on Tuesday afternoon.
Also expected on site was a senior team from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).
The DMRE team includes geological and mining experts who will conduct an inspection of the site and take samples of what has been discovered in the area.
Video by Doctor Ngcobo/Africa News Agency
THE MERCURY