Mine excursion
Black Royalty Minerals’
Chilwavhusiku Colliery was
launched with an impressive
mine opening event in January,
writes Leon Louw.
J
unior coal mining company Black Royalty
Minerals (BRM), a subsidiary of the Makole
Group, launched its first colliery at the end of
January 2018. Chilwavhusiku Colliery is not only the
first mining project owned by BRM, it is also the first
mine to start producing coal in the Bronkhorstspruit
area, although another junior mining company,
owned by Oakleaf Investments Holdings, has been
actively exploring in the area for the past few years.
Oakleaf now owns Khanye Colliery, which is located
right next to Chilwavhusiku.
The general manager at Chilwavhusiku is Peet
Meyer — first geologist, then project manager, and
now general manager at BRM’s deposit. He was
busy with a drilling programme in the vicinity in
2014 when he received a call from Ndavhe Mareda,
entrepreneur and chairperson of the Makole Group.
“I received a call from Mr Mareda asking me if we
could meet in the Bronkhorstspruit Wimpy, and
that’s where it all started,” says Meyer. A little more
than three years later, Chilwavhusiku was drilled,
proven, and is producing coal.
The opening of 100% black-owned Black
Royalty Minerals’ Chilwavhusiku Colliery close
to Bronkhorstspruit in Gauteng caused great
excitement among the local community.
Making an impact
The mine became operational in the last quarter
of 2017 and has contracted Stefanutti Stocks as
mining contractor. The mine supplies coal primarily
to inland customers and is currently working on
export contracts.
“As a business that is 100% black-owned, we are
proud to be contributing to the GDP of the country,
but we are very gratified to impact the lives of the
Bronkhorstspruit community though job creation and
local business development,” says Mareda.
BRM’s development plans for the Bronkhorstspruit
community include ensuring that over 80% of
its workforce is sourced from the surrounding
communities; investing in promising young students
by offering them tertiary education bursaries; and
outsourcing to and collaborating with local business
in advancing the economic circumstances of the
community. Employing this strategy allows BRM
to make further con