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| MINING |
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Although it can be said that this region is mostly agricultural, it also
contains a major mining cluster at Phalaborwa. Phalaborwa has been declared
a Spatial Development Initiatives. The objectives of the SDI is to exploit
the unutilized and underutilized potentials of the area by combining private
and public sector resources in a sustainable manner.
Other significant mineral zones in the region are the Murchison Greenstone Belt (Gravellotte towards
Leewkop in the Kruger National Park [KNP]), Giyani Greenbelt-from KNP in the
south Western direction to the town of Giyani, and Rooiwater Complex Northern flank of Murchison.
There are number of mega projects that mining companies have been considering
for implementation or exploration in the district. This includes the expansion
of rock Phosphate production by FOSKOR, the Phlogopite processing facility,
the Koalin clay project, institution of underground copper mining operations at
Phalaborwa, surface strip mining of mineral sand in Gravellotte area, exploitation
of heavy mineral deposits in the Tzaneen area (by Red River mining and ISCOR),
erection of a steel production facility (Magnetie).
There are small mining initiatives such as the small gold mining projects in the
Giyani and Murchison sequence greenstone areas and the production of dimension
stone for the building industry at the Mica area. Potential also exist for small
scale mining in the Murchison sequence near Gravellotte (antimony and emeralds)
and along the East/ West ridge of mineralization south of Phalaborwa and extending
from the Kruger National Park to Mica.
Overall the main potential is centered around Phalaborwa in the Phalaborwa Mineral
complex with its well known copper and Phosphate resources and in the Murchison
Range from Gravellotte towards Nkowakowa / Tzaneen which is reputed to be the most
diverse mineralization zones in he world.
Mining development has a potential to contribute over R6300 million in direct investments
through the different ventures/prospecting in the district. Mining development could in
the short term form the corner stone of economic growth not only in the district but also
in the whole of Limpopo Province.
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