Of all the issues marring South African politics, and the state of the nation, for that matter, at this juncture, Nkandla, or rather the excessively expensive upgrades made to President Jacob Zuma’s palatial home in that district, ranks as the most controversial.

As pre-eminent South African journalist and former editor of the Rand Daily Mail Alistair Sparks has commented, Nkandla has become an albatross around the neck of the President, which is doing great damage not only to himself and his legacy, but also to his party and the country. And we certainly need not be reminded of the chaos that ensued at this year’s State of the Nation address, when the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) disrupted Parliamentary proceedings, demanding to know when the President is going to pay back the money.

Politics aside, it is interesting, especially from this chronicle’s perspective, to note that the Nkandla district of KwaZulu-Natal is auriferous and was once the scene of intense prospecting and mining activity.

It really cannot be exaggerated to what

extent late nineteenth-century Southern Africa was obsessed with gold. In almost every stream, valley and geologically interesting hill and mountain across this varied landscape, prospectors and diggers fossicked in search of that most desired of precious metals. In most instances, they found sufficient traces of gold to keep the hope alive and to spur the relentless pursuit of a King-Solomon’s-Mines-like discovery.

One area that received considerable prospecting attention in the latter half of the nineteenth century, but whose history has been eclipsed by the Witwatersrand and former Eastern Transvaal goldfields, was the former British colony of Natal. Interestingly, Natal is itself considerably mineralised and is host to auriferous zones. However, the nature of these deposits often proved erratic and extremely difficult to mine. Nevertheless, it is estimated that just under 1 000 kg of gold has been won from that part of the country over the last century and a half.

At first, diggers focused their attention, as was the custom of the day, on panning for gold in the many streams and rivers that traverse the territory. However, in the wake of the discovery of the gold-bearing conglomerate reefs of the Witwatersrand basin in 1886, prospectors began to turn their attention to investigating quartz reefs and banket formations. One area that proved particularly interesting in this regard was the Nkandla district, in the heart of the Zulu nation’s landscape. Situated in a remote area of breathtaking mountainous beauty, Nkandla has claim to be the cradle of Zulu history, having a firm connection to prominent characters, ranging from Malandela, founder and chief of the Zulu clan, to Shaka, Dingane and Cetshwayo.

According to historical records, prospecting activity began in earnest in the Nkandla district between the Tugela and the Mhlatuze rivers in 1892 and continued sporadically for the next three decades. It was reported that the various prospecting parties found many gold-bearing occurrences across the district but, unfortunately, nearly all of them proved to be low-grade propositions, while several had other difficulties to contend with.

Of the 11 main prospecting and mining concerns undertaken in the district, four proved to be considerably intriguing. Details of these concerns, originally published in The South African Mining and Engineering Journal, have been transcribed for interest’s sake.

“Mfongosi – The reefs formerly worked by the Tugela Mining Syndicate, which are situated on the Tugela, near its confluence with the Mfongosi river, follow the foliation planes of the green schists, striking east-west and dipping to the south. “The workings . . . consist essentially of three adit levels in the hillside, the highest 125 ft above the lowest, a good deal of driving and sinking having been done, the reefs and their values proved erratic. A return of 46¾ oz was obtained in 1909 from the milling of 251½ t of ore.

“Nkunzana – During 1894 and 1895, 279 t were crushed and yielded 40 ¼ oz; thereafter the mine lay idle for many years, but was reopened and worked continuously from March 1914 until June 1922 during which period there were treated no less than 8 393 t yielding 762.16 oz.

“Vira – Some 200 t were crushed in 1909 and gave 8 oz, but the mine stood idle until 1919, when 93 t were milled and 93 t were milled and gave 11 oz and 18 dwts, followed in 1923 by 510 t yielding 182 oz and 2 dwts, and in 1924 by 400 t furnishing 25 oz and 9 dwts . . . A remarkable feature is the quantity of alluvial gold recovered from this ground, which, over the period 1915 to 1928, has amounted to 423 oz.

“Vergelegen – On a small subdivision of this farm, just to the east of the Harewood, is situated the Bob Watkins reef. It is a vein of vitreous and much-jointed quartz showing some pyrite and coarse gold, and ranging from 4ft to 8ft in width. “Unlike the other reefs in this neighbourhood, it strikes nearly north and south, and hence cuts transversely across the schist formation. “In 1893, 110 tons were crushed that yield [sic] 45 oz and 6 dwt, while in 1897 319 t gave 77 oz and 14 dwt – only moderate results. Reopened in 1907, the mine produced 700 t that furnished only 63 oz and 3 dwt, exclusive of tailings.”

It is known that the Council for Geoscience completed a geophysical survey of northern KwaZulu-Natal in 2014 and it is to be wondered what that survey revealed in terms of the auriferous potential of the area. But, perhaps for now, Nkandla is mired in enough controversy without contending with the implications of gold prospecting too.