MASERU
History was made in the Mountain Kingdom when it held its very first dialogue in recognition of the growing importance of the mining sector in the national economy. The colloquy was also intended to promote and encourage the involvement of women in the mining sector, which was followed by the launch of LEWIMA (Lesotho Women in Mining). The Indaba was a two-day event that took place from the 25th to the 26th of April 2024 at the ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre.
Under the theme “The Future of Mining in the Global Landscape” the conversation featured various speakers, some from South Africa who delved deep into mining and its contribution in boosting the country’s economy. Various panel discussions were conducted that probed a lot of questions and somewhat strategies on how Lesotho can use its mineral resources for its benefit. Although there are other minerals, most focus is on diamond mining.
Speaking on behalf of the chamber of mines, Motooane Thinyane gave a debrief indicating that the chamber of mines was established in 2016 as a non-profit organization. It was intended to promote learning, growth, and research. He mentioned that Lesotho’s production of diamonds is low when compared to that of other countries. For instance, when Botswana produces about 15.9 million carats, Lesotho only produces roughly less than a million which is a great difference, and it has since been discovered that South Africa and Botswana rank higher in the investment ratings. Currently, it has been estimated that approximately 560 million USD is a prerequisite as capital when investing in a mine and as it stands mines in Lesotho are contributing 35% to the country’s economy and this is considered a significant portion. It is also important to note that 98% of mine employees are Basotho nationals.
An invitation has been made to potential investors to invest in Lesotho’s mining industry. It is said that this industry contributes only 10% to the GDP and the hope is to triple that percentage in the years to come. The idea is also to engage with local suppliers to come up with community solutions on how best to go about making mining beneficial to the country’s growth. There are some challenges that were addressed, that include exposure to global fluctuations, cost of operating is rapidly increasing because the deeper you dig, the more expensive it becomes, there are energy challenges and extending the life of the mine such that it remains profitable for an extended period. There are of course prospects and opportunities of new mines and the questions asked are what else can be mined? Who can come on board?
In a panel discussion moderated by Peter Ndoro whereby they “explored the wealth of mining and investment opportunities in Lesotho. Gain insights into Lesotho’s unique landscape and discover why hosting the Indaba Khotla in this picturesque country is significant. The session sets the scene by outlining the value proposition for the Indaba Khotla and emphasizes the importance of collaboration with industry leaders offering unparalleled networking prospects.” It is in this discussion that Pius Ngakane spoke on where deposits are found. He revealed that over 405 kimberlite deposits are found in Lesotho which are called commercial mines. He also added that the occurrence of diamonds is mostly found in the riverbanks, occurrence of sandstone in Teyateyaneng, Phoqoane and Tsikoane. Coal deposits have been found in Mohale’s Hoek and there is suspicion of base metals i.e. Copper and cobalt but these would require detailed investigations. He also said there are indications of uranium, it has not been confirmed yet but if it really is there it could prove quite beneficial to the country’s economy.
Overall, he said he noticed that there are gaps in knowledge because even the maps used are not detailed enough and they need to be updated with information that is being acquired. There are also prominent gaps in the geo-physical surveys as they have only been conducted in the northern part of the country whence there are no other reports present and these surveys should be completed nationwide. He also highlighted that about 200 samples of minerals must be tested in South Africa due to budget constraints in this country. We lack advanced technology to study and to inject capital into finding these deposits because they are found in regions of the country that are not easily accessible. A call was made for significant investments in such ventures. This conversation ended with some food for thought- How do we switch from potential to actualization?
Mashudu Ramano shared his powerful insights about how the Paradigms of mining can be changed and the take home was that we need not only to rely on traditional mining where the ground is dug but we can also consider venturing in Phyto mining which is essentially the concept of mining metals using plants. He made an illustration showing the number of minerals that are used for a house to be built or a car to be assembled all these are mined in African countries and are exported then bought expensive and these are skills that we could equip ourselves with without having to rely on other counties such as China or Japan. He implored that we need to start learning how to manipulate these minerals on our own so that they can benefit us and our economy.
Another panel sat and discussed issues of harnessing hydrogen from the water that we already possess, and a member of the crowd also added that it would also be important to harness oxygen too that can be stored and used at a later stage, for example hospital oxygen tanks. The Indaba Khotla was aimed at engaging people, and it was a brainstorming session that probed people’s input to see what can be done to grow mining of all minerals in the country. This also allowed people to share suggestions regarding operations and how they can feature in them. There is so much potential in Lesotho’s growth and the mining industry is dedicated to contributing immensely to that growth.
