Pigg’s Peak – A locally owned company has been granted a 20-year licence to revive the Old Pigg’s Peak gold mine.
III R.M.M.B (Pty) Ltd, a locally registered entity, made its first public presentation to residents at a scoping meeting held at Killarney Sports Ground in Pigg’s Peak yesterday. The meeting, attended mainly by youth, was part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process now before the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA).
The company’s Legal and Compliance Officer, Vilimile Gumede, led the presentation, outlining plans to reprocess old mine dumps, rehabilitate underground workings, and eventually extract gold from the historic site that has lain dormant for over 50 years.
When asked about the shareholding structure of the company, Gumede stated that this is being prepared. He said in principle, as per law, 50 per cent of the shareholding is owned by the company. Then, 25 per cent goes to Treasury, while the remaining 25 per cent is held by the Ingwenyama in Trust for the nation. This formula is contained in Section 133 of the Mines and Minerals Act 2011.
He said the company has been given a notarial mineral rights lease and has been informed that, within a certain period, it must add the relevant government representatives to the shareholder structure. He said this had not yet been done.
But residents said they were left with more questions than answers, particularly about the company’s experience and long-term commitment. This is one of the questions which was asked more than once during the meeting.
While the company itself does not have the actual mining experience in terms of previous operations, Gumede said they consulted with a consortium as an operating partner. He said the consortium would run the Carbon in Leach (CIL) plant.
CIL is a gold extraction process in which cyanide leaching and activatedcarbon adsorption occur simultaneously in the same tanks to dissolve gold and adsorb it onto carbon.
He said they had engaged Prometheus Mining and Exploration, which has experience in the field of mining. Gumede said the consortium has the necessary experts such as metallurgists and mining engineers.
During his presentation, Gumede took more questions from residents, including some who were sceptical about whether the company would be able to operate long enough.
Busta Vilakati, a resident, wanted to know whether the mine would be around long enough and not abruptly stop operations. Vilakati is also a police officer based at the Pigg’s Peak Police Station. He introduced himself as a resident of Macembini, which is one of the communities in the town.
He said in the past, there had been cases where mining companies were given licences, but suddenly stopped operating, leaving emaSwati without jobs. In the recent past, there were two mining activities at the Ngwenya Mine and another at the Malolotja Nature Reserve where green chert was being extracted. All these have since shut their doors.
Vilakati said youth end up giving up their jobs that are not paying enough, hoping to get better employment from the mines, but then the mines close and they are left unemployed. He asked if this would not be the case in the latest development.
“How will this one be different?” he asked. “We have seen this before. Companies come with big promises for mines, we leave our small jobs, and then one day they are gone. What guarantee do we have?”
Sibhentshwana Shongwe, the Bucopho for Pigg’s Peak under Pigg’s Peak Inkhundla, echoed similar concerns. He stated that he was also worried about the same issue – the sustainability of the operation and whether it would deliver on its promises to the community.
Gumede was asked directly if the company has any experience, particularly after some residents said they had never heard of it before.
In his response, Gumede said just because they had not mined before did not mean they could not do so. He said the company had partnered with a consortium that has experience in mining and mineral exploration. “Think of somebody who has land but has never farmed before; they can still hire someone experienced to come and do the job for them. That is the same way we will be running the mine,” Gumede said.
The Old Pigg’s Peak Mine has been dormant for over 50 years. It once flourished, making Pigg’s Peak one of Eswatini’s mining towns during its heyday. However, the town itself was in a different location from where it is now – a reminder of how much has changed since the mine’s glory days.
While the mine appeared to have been dormant for several years, illegal miners have been busy on the same site. The Times of Eswatini has reported on several accounts where illegal miners, popularly known as zama zamas, have been mining gold there illegally.
At some point, it appeared that the military as well as police officers were failing to control the influx of illegal mining.
However, reports of a new company operating have changed this. Security is said to be very tight.
Yesterday, reporters attempted to visit the mine. Within a few minutes, security personnel driving in a tinted double cab high-powered vehicle approached them. An armed security guard jumped out of the driver’s seat, leaving another guard inside the vehicle. He politely asked the reporters what they were doing in the area. Upon being informed they wanted to see the mine, he said for now, no one is permitted.
The security guard also warned the reporters that he was very good with faces and that he would remember them if they ever returned.
The mine is about six kilometres from Pigg’s Peak and, because the area is mountainous, it is visible from a distance – a constant reminder to residents of what lies beneath.
