By Silindzelwe Nxumalo
THE Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy says the completion of the Multi-Disciplinary Geoscience Mapping Project will have an outcome of an up-to-date mineral inventory of the country. This was shared by the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela during the official launch of the multi-disciplinary Geoscience Mapping of the Kingdom of Eswatini at Esibayeni Lodge on Sunday.
The minister said they were expecting that the updated mineral inventory would stimulate investment in the mining industry which would ensure the much-needed excellence in data and geoscientific information dissemination to potential mining investors.
He stated that the ultimate objective was to attract Emaswati into the mining sector and Foreign Direct Investment and to create jobs. The minister said the ministry had been allocated a budget to continue with Phase two of the study to cover the Lubombo and Shiselweni regions.
He also stated that the government Tender Board had granted the Geological Survey Department authority to engage the Council for Geoscience to conduct an airborne geophysical survey of the said remaining two regions. “This phase will complete the Multi-Disciplinary Geoscience Mapping Project of the Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.
He highlighted that phase one of this project covered the Hhohho and Manzini Region and had overwhelming results. Four minerals were found to exist in these Regions. He said these minerals were gold, iron ore, diamond, and copper-nickel-platinum group elements and that this project had seen never-ending interest from potential Mining investors. The minister further stated that the country’s Economic Roadmap of 2018 – 2023 identified the mining industry as one of the pillars for the economic recovery of the Kingdom of Eswatini.
“For investment to take place in this sector of the economy, quality and reliable geoscientific data and information is one of the requirements for potential mining investors to make quick decisions on investing in the Kingdom,” he said.
He said the ministry through the Geological Survey Department, initiated the Multi-Disciplinary Geoscience Mapping Project in 2021 which is a project that involves conducting an airborne geophysical survey and combining the high-resolution geophysical data with the available geological and geochemical data, using artificial intelligence, to identify and prioritise potential mineral targets.
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He added that geoscientific mapping and characterisation of the landscape of Eswatini forms an integral part of stimulating economic growth and investment. The minister said a full geoscientific understanding underpins any efforts towards sustainable development of the country’s potentially vast and untapped onshore mineral resources.
“The achievement of this specific outcome hinges imperatively on the accurate and precise geoscientific characterisation of the country’s bedrock geology that contains and controls the development and evolution of these mineral resources,” he said.
He added that the country had faith in the Council for Geoscience (CGS) because of its experience in driving the mining sector in the Republic of South Africa. He stated that the ministry believed that this project would also build the capacity of geoscientists for the country to benefit from the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources.
