KwaHlathi: The unidentified stones which drew thousands of fortune seekers, to a remote South African hamlet were quartz stones and had either little or no value, officials stated on Sunday.
People travelled from all across South Africa to KwaHlathi, in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal region, where locals had been digging since June 12, after a herder spotted the first stone in an open field and had spread the story about the stone.
During a media briefing on Sunday, Ravi Pillay, a member of the provincial executive council for economic development and tourism said that he had counted 3000 people there during his visit to the site to collect samples for identification. ‘Conclusively, the examinations done indicated that the stones discovered in the region are not diamonds, as some had anticipated,’ he stated, adding that they were quartz crystals.
Pillay further said, ‘The worth of the quartz crystals, if any, has yet to be determined, although it should be noted that the value of quartz crystals is extremely low when compared to diamonds.’
He went on to say that the event had brought attention to the socioeconomic difficulties that local residents confront. High levels of unemployment and poverty, like in many other parts of South Africa, have put communities on the verge of starvation.
During the visit, residents in the region expressed worries about roads and water, which authorities at the briefing promised would be addressed.
Meanwhile, Pillay said, the number of individuals mining the ground had dropped to less than 500, though substantial damage has already been caused, with an area of about 50 hectares covered up with holes which are up to one metre deep, hence posing a threat to cattle. Those who continue to mine in the region, risking the spread of Covid-19, will be persuaded to leave, however, law enforcement will be called in if required, he added.
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