Settlement likely by year-end as parties in silicosis case pursue out-of-court option

Mining companies facing a class action suit from mineworkers who developed silicosis on South Africa's gold mines, are anticipated to reach an out of court settlement before the close of the year.... 

‘Decolonising’ South Africa’s mining history

If there is one thing South African mining historians, myself included, have been guilty of, it is the tendency to focus on, and perpetuate, the 'colonial-esque' history of the industry. The common... 

A perspective on the colonialism debate

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille's recent tweets espousing the opinion that the legacy of colonialism was not only negative has sparked significant outrage and debate amongst South Africans of all... 

Gold mining in Swaziland

There are indications that gold mining and production in our neighbour, Swaziland, is undergoing a resurgence after decades of near-dormant activity. The reopening of the Lufafa gold mine, near... 

Setting the record straight on discovery of diamonds

, South Africa's mining history is tainted with a multitude of misconceptions, fallacies and misnomers. One of the most glaring is the notion that the Eureka Diamond, the 'first' precious stone to... 

Who’s who of Pilgrim’s Rest gold rush published

The most fascinating aspect of South Africa’s mining history, in my humble opinion, is the diamond and gold rush era of the 1870s and 1880s, when any man with a bit of luck could make his fortune... 

A cateador’s hunt for gold in South America

It was inevitable that the excitement of the Californian, Australian and South African gold rushes would spur the search for an ‘El Dorado’ in other localities across the globe. However, such was... 

The forgotten gold rush at the foot of Natal’s ‘Table Mountain’

Without a doubt, the early 1850s was a great time for anyone with an adventurous spirit, a desire for fortune and capacity for hard labour. The whole world, it seemed, had been swept up in an... 

Peter Sutherland – SA’s first government geologist

There are two main reasons why geology was vigorously pursued in the various colonies during the nineteenth century. Firstly, the study of the ancient environment fostered an impression of the... 

The father of South African geology

  The study or, at the very least, observance of the rock and mineral formations that make up South Africa’s landscape has, in all probability, been pursued since the advent of mining – more than... 

Photographing the industrial vernacular

On a recent trip to the UK, I found myself with a few hours to spare in London and so decided to visit the Tate Modern art gallery. Of course, it would be my luck to stumble across a mining and... 

Darwin’s visit to the Cape

Victorian naturalist Charles Darwin needs little introduction. His seminal work, On the Origins of the Species, published in 1859, fundamentally shaped the theory of evolution. Having said that, it... 

Origins of the International Geological Congress

The four-year-long wait for the ‘world cup of geoscientific conferences’, the International Geological Congress, is finally over, with the much-anticipated thirty-fifth session of the event set to... 

Political risk, poor infrastructure and lack of geodata stymying African exploration

It is an age old adage that, when the mining industry enters a slump, exploration budgets, particularly those designated for greenfield activities, are the first to be curtailed. This has certainly... 

Political risk, poor infrastructure and lack of geodata stymying African exploration

It is an age old adage that when the mining industry enters a slump exploration budgets, particularly those designated for greenfield activities, are the first to be curtailed. This has certainly... 

Brief history of 15th ICG, the first to be hosted in Africa

The City of Cape Town is set to host the thirty-fifth International Geological Congress, the most prestigious of geoscientific conferences held every four years, between August 27 and September 4.... 

The first female pioneer of the Rand gold rush

Given that mining has almost always been a wholly male dominated enterprise, information relating to women is disappointingly sparse from the historical record. Of course, there is the odd snippet... 

Rand goldfield: ‘Not worth hell room’

Perhaps the most extraordinary reality of the early history of the Witwatersrand goldfield is that the discovery of 1886 was greeted with a fair degree of scepticism, particularly from career... 

Second Oppenheimer gem

For well over a century the Oppenheimer name has almost exclusively been associated with that most luxurious of coveted items – diamonds. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is more than... 

Mystery of the origins of the Oppenheimer Blue

The sale of the 14.62 ct Oppenheimer Blue diamond by Christie’s last month has caused an absolute sensation in global diamond and jewellery circles, not only because it is the largest vivid blue... 

The statue that might have been

When the Johannesburg City Council’s management committee decided to commission a commemorative statue as part of the city’s centennial celebrations, they did not have a specific idea in mind as to... 

Joburg’s answer to the Statue of Liberty

It has been exactly 30 years since the enormous 9-m-tall statue of George Harrison, captured in a dramatic Eureka moment, was commissioned to commemorate the centenary of the discovery of gold on... 

And the official discoverer is . . .

In 1936, Johannesburg celebrated the jubilee of the discovery of gold on the farm Langlaagte. In the run-up to those celebrations the Johannesburg City Council made special efforts to do honour to... 

Just who discovered the Wits Main Reef Series?

While it is known that gold was found, and even exploited, at various places across the Witwatersrand prior to 1886, the fact remains that the most pivotal watershed moment in that early history of... 

Reflecting on the long-destroyed Struben Monument

It has been a year since the controversial activities of the #RhodesMustFall protest movement at the University of Cape Town, which resulted in the removal of a bronze statue of Cecil John Rhodes... 

The Confidence of the Wits basin

It has been established that the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand basin was not a sudden, Eurekalike event but rather a protracted affair, which, at least according to the colonial-era... 

Fred Struben and Wits gold discovery

In the process of popularising the history of the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand much of the early narrative was sidelined in favour of a crisp, uncomplicated tale in which George Harrison... 

The when, how and by whom controversy of Wits gold discovery

One of the most curious realities of South Africa’s mining history is that the precise details relating the discovery of gold on the Witwatersrand, an event that was to irrevocably alter the... 

History repeating itself as SA’s mining sector finds itself in turmoil

One fundamental truth about the march of human progression is that, as much as things may change, they stay the same. Put another way, history has a habit of repeating itself, although not always... 

Policy uncertainty, DMR leadership ‘challenges’, weak prices bode ill for mining sector in 2016

Over the last few years, South Africa’s mining industry has staggered into the new year increasingly the worse for wear, having been ravaged by a myriad of challenges over the course of the... 

Policy uncertainty, DMR leadership ‘challenges’, weak prices bode ill for mining sector in 2016

Over the last few years, South Africa’s mining industry has staggered into the new year increasingly the worse for wear having been ravaged by a myriad of challenges over the course of 2015 not... 

DRDGold ploughs R600m into enviro management programme

In the comparatively dry climate of the South African Highveld, wind-borne dust and sand have always been a significant irritation, especially to residents of the industrial and mining centres of... 

The fate of the Cullinan diamond

The announcement of the discovery of 1 111 ct and 813 ct diamonds, the second- and sixth-largest gem-quality diamonds ever discovered, made headlines the world over two weeks ago. While the news... 

The slogan of the century

In 1999, Advertising Age magazine described ‘A Diamond is Forever’ as the “best advertising slogan” of the twentieth century. This is no understatement, for that iconic one liner not only... 

Cullinan House up for sale

Having bequeathed his name to the world’s largest gem-quality diamond ever discovered, it was inevitable that Sir Thomas Cullinan’s enduring legacy would be most closely associated with South... 

The Cullinan diamond mystery

My native suburb of Kensington, Johannesburg, could have been mistaken for the Wild West two weeks ago, when, in the midst of early morning traffic, a gun battle erupted during what is believed was... 

End of an era for iconic Rand Club

At the end of September, the Rand Club, Johannesburg’s oldest club, and certainly one of its most iconic social clubs, closed its doors. The Rand Club was part of Johannesburg’s 129-year history... 

Mining-school enrolment still high despite industry’s contraction

The South African mining industry has, since the advent of the industrial economy, always been the main employment mecca. The industry has not only provided jobs for millions of workers, but has... 

Mining-school enrolment still high despite industry’s contraction

The South African mining industry has, since the advent of the industrial economy, always been the main employment mecca. Not only has the industry provided jobs for millions of workers, it has... 

A monument to SA’s first gold mining efforts

The Eersteling Gold Mine, the site of the first commercial gold mining activity in South Africa’s modern history, has, in many instances, been relegated to mere footnote status in our mining...