COUNTRY IN FOCUS • operation in the 1970s . The mining operation left a large excavation at the top of the Ngwenya mountain . Not all of the iron ore in the form of hematite and specularite mined was exported . Large fines dumps remain on site after Anglo-American ceased operations – indicated as the result of flooding of the mine . A short-lived revival of operations at Ngwenya was undertaken by Salgaocar , which operated the mine from 2011 to 2014 through the Salgaocar Swaziland Limited Company . The operations were , however , marred by allegations of mismanagement , corruption and extensive environmental pollution . In 2018 another attempt was made at exploring the remaining mineralisation potential and in 2022 , Mwelase Mining eSwatini , restarted prospecting operations at the mine . The company has refurbished the plant to reclaim about 150 000 tonnes per month once mining operations resume . The plant will upgrade the ore from 44 % to 60 % Fe .
The Ngwenya mine also hosts a UNESCO site and the Lion Cavern site , a small excavation on the side of the mountain where mainly ochre was extracted along with specularite for pigment . Most of the artifacts were , however , lost when the visitor centre burned down .
The country hosts large reserves of coal , which are low-volatile bituminous coals or anthracite . The Mpaka Coal Mine was last operated in 1992 , having been mothballed after the previous owner exited the eSwatini market . Lurco Coal Eswatini was granted a prospecting licence for coal resources at Mpaka and it was indicated that various studies would be undertaken to re-establish mining , but to date no development of the project has been recorded . The minister of Commerce announced that a mining license had been issued for the Mpaka Coal Mine in March 2022 . This may indicate that there are plans to go ahead with the Mpaka Power Station or the adjacent Lubhuku Power Station and plans for the supply of domestic product . The anthracite mine at Maloma commenced with production in 1993 with the material exported to South Africa .
There are also several small and commercial construction quarries for stone aggregate operational in the country , like Kwalini and Mbabane Concrete Centre . Small deposits of kaolin , talc , silica and a variety of clays exist , but are not yet developed .
Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp eSwatini is landlocked within the Republic of South Africa and Mozambique on the eastern border , where the Lubombo Mountains lie and is divided into four climatic regions : the Highveld , Middleveld , Lowveld and Lubombo plateau .
eSwatini remains a poor country in Southern Africa but could benefit from the industrial and mining sector through government support and attracting investment in the re-establishment of mining and prospecting . The country could also draw on the wealth of mining knowledge gained by its citizens working extensively in the South African mining and industrial production sectors by incentivising their return home . •
The country is diverse , with some of the oldest rocks in the world .
Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp is an independent consultant , specialising in geological , geotechnical and geometallurgical projects and mining project management . He has over two decades of industry experience with global exposure . ncs . contract @ gmail . com
Martin McCormack | Unsplash
Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • June 2023 • 13