Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
123
December 2011
approximately 2 334 000 carats of diamonds in 2007, and it producers more diamonds that
most other areas in the province.
There are approximately five diamond kimberlite pipes extensively mined around
Kimberley, i.e. De Beers, Kimberley, Bultfontein, Dutoitspan and Wesselton. Only
Bultfontein, Dutoitspan and Wesselton are currently in operation. The Messina mine
comprises various mining leases and free holdings on various farms approximately 60 km
west of Warrenton (LED Strategy).
g) Limestome and Gypsum: Limestone and its derivative lime are important industrial
minerals for the manufacture of Portland cement, as a flux for the production of pig iron
and non‐ferrous metals, and thirdly in agriculture where it is used primarily as a fertiliser
and to neutralise acid soils. Limestone is also used in water treatment and purification as
well as sewage treatment. The Northern Cape is a major producer of cement and lime.
The major limestone resource in the Northern Cape occurs in a 150 km long belt only a few
kilometres wide, that extends along the western edge of the Ghaap Plateau from
Griquatown in the south to Kuruman in the north. Within this belt, the strata dips gently to
the west and the limestone is present in large lenses up to 10 km long and 200 m thick
(Northern Cape Mineral Strategy, 2003). The Bushmanland area in Namaqua has some of
richest gypsum deposits in South Africa, especially the mine near Van Wyk’s vlei.
h) Other minerals and associated products: Various other minerals are also mined in the
province such as Kieselguhr, Wollastonite, Beyllium, Flouorspar, Molybdenum, Uranium,
Feldspar, Mica, and Tantalum, and however these deposits are small. Silver is also mined
near Aggeneys. Small scale mining of Kieselguhr takes place at Kuruman and Olifantshoek,
and apparently some 10 000 tons of Kieselguhr deposits occur in the western part of the
John Taolo Gaetsewe district. Untapped Kieselguhr deposits occur near Springbok. Salt is
extensively mined at Groot Witpan and Witpan, northwest of Upington. The Siyanda
district has various untapped mineral deposits throughout the district.
i) Semi‐precious stones: Semi precious stones such as Jasper and Suglite are mined at
Kuruman and Hotazel. Blue tiger eye, Yellow tiger eye, Jasper and Rose quartz are
mined at various locations in the Pixley ka Seme district.
Table F.5: Key mining concerns per district municipality of the Northern Cape (Source: PGDS).
DISTRICT
MINING CONCERNS
MUNICIPALITY
Johan Taolo a) Lack of beneficiation from mining operation and it has huge impact on local economic
Gaetsewe development.
b) Big mining companies make it difficult for smaller mining operations to function.
c) Expansion of iron ore mining can implicate logistical issues for the mining sector in the
province.
d) The proposed development of iron ore and managenese smelters are extremely capital‐
intensive and the power needed for such an operation might not be feasible.
Namaqua a) There is a severe lack of mining infrastructure, expect for the Black Mountain and Gamsberg
mining activities.
b) Certain mineral deposits are of low grade or low density and are not economically viable to
mine.
c) Transport of raw materials can be a problem due to the remote locations of mines and the
distance to processing plants.
d) The entry market for certain commodities are risky.
e) Issuing of mining permits can be a long and bureaucratic process.
f) Illegal mining occurs in certain parts of the district.
g) Lack of capital.
h) There is no beneficiation from mining in certain areas of the district.
Dennis Moss Partnership