CoAL ordered to stop work at Vele project

South Africa’s environmental management inspectorate, the Green Scorpions, has issued a compliance notice to Aim-, ASX- and JSE-listed Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) to cease with activities that were in contravention of the country’s National...

Mapungubwe emerges as new theatre in tussle between mining and ecotourism

The consistently contentious question of whether or not mining, ecotourism and agriculture can co-exist, was once again highlighted during the public consultation process for Coal of Africa Limited’s (CoAL’s) Vele Colliery, near the Mapungubwe...

Diamond-miner announces first insect ecotourism route

Inspired by the International Congress of Entomology, diamond-miner De Beers, with the support of Nicky Oppenheimer and ∫Strilli Oppenheimer, has announced that the De Beers Diamond Route plans to develop the world's first ‘Insect Route'.

CoAL’s Vele project raises environmental concerns

South Africa’s Environmental Affairs and Tourism department has raised “significant concerns” with Australian-miner Coal of Africa Limited’s (CoAL’s) proposed Vele Colliery, in the Limpopo province, and did not support the project, a top...

Acid mine drainage threatens important water resources

Environmental protection group Federation for a Sustainable Environment (FSE) is strongly opposing the opening of five new Xstrata Coal mines in the Mpumalanga escarpment, located northwest of Ermelo, where the Vaal, Olifants, Komati, Mpuluzi and...

Miner expands its South African coal interests

GVM Metals, the South African mineral processing and coal mining company, announced the following events in relation to its Holfontein and Limpopo coal projects.

Venetia Diamond Mine, South Africa

Name: Venetia Diamond Mine. Location: The mine is located 80 km from Musina, in the Limpopo Province. Brief history: Diamond-bearing gravels were discovered as early as 1903 close to the Limpopo river, 35 km north-east of the present mine. In...

Australian miner seeks partner for Moz heavy-minerals project

If all goes according to plan, then a little over four years from now, ten years after the world’s largest known reserves of heavy minerals were discovered near the rural town of Chibuto, in Mozambique’s southern Gaza province, the...

Where Africans were making gold artefacts hundreds of years ago

It is interesting to note that Africans were creating precious-metal artifacts hundreds of years ago.

The diamond-mine manager and the one that got away

In its drive to engage in projects that contribute to the well-being of the natural environment, De Beers Venetia Opencast Mine, Limpopo, became involved in a somewhat unusual environmental project.

Gem giant moves to replenish Tigerfish stock

An equipment supplier has teamed up with the Venetia diamond mine in an initiative to re-establish and improve strategically important Tigerfish populations in the Limpopo province.

A millennium of mining SA

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, South Africa's single most valuable export is, again (it was briefly usurped by platinum) gold – just like it has been for the past one thousand years.