![]() The provincial government has since requested all those involved to leave the site to allow authorities to conduct a proper inspection, amid fears the people digging at the site could potentially be spreading the coronavirus. Some people have started selling the stones, with the starting price ranging from 100 rand ($7.29) to 300 rand. The coronavirus pandemic has made it worse. South Africa’s economy has long suffered from extremely high levels of unemployment, trapping millions in poverty and contributing to stark inequalities that persist nearly three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994. The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the. In fact, what has been discovered are quartz. The lack of an analysis of the stones has not deterred the fortune seekers as long lines of parked cars on both sides of the gravel road could be seen just a few metres from the open field, where the young, old, female and male dug through the soil with picks, shovels and forks to find riches. A diamond rush in South Africa, born of desperation and distrust A diamond rush in South Africa, born of desperation and distrust The diamond rush has completely transformed KwaHlathi, where the chief estimates that about 4,000 families reside. ![]() Largest tanzanite gemstones in history sold for $3mĪ formal technical report will be issued in due course, the department said. Gemstones said to be the largest Tanzanite stones found in Tanzania. ![]() The mines department said on Monday it was sending a team comprising of geological and mining experts to the site to collect samples and conduct an analysis. Unemployed Skhumbuzo Mbhele concurred, adding: “I hadn’t seen or touched a diamond in my life. When I returned home with them, (the family was) really overjoyed,” said the 27-year-old father of two. “This means our lives will change because no one had a proper job, I do odd jobs. The discovery was a life changer, said one digger Mendo Sabelo as he held a handful of tiny stones. The people traveled from across South Africa to join villagers who have been digging since Saturday, after a herd man who dug up the first stone on an open field, which some believe to be quartz crystals, put out the word. He said those who continued to mine – a situation that also risks the spread of Covid – would be encouraged to leave, and law enforcement could be drawn upon if necessary.More than 1,000 fortune seekers on Monday flocked to the village of KwaHlathi in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province in search of what they believed to be diamonds after a discovery of unidentified stones in the area. Meanwhile, the number of people mining the land had dwindled to less than 500, Pillay said, though significant damage had already been done with an area of about 5 hectares (12 acres) covered in holes of up to one metre, posing a danger to cattle. People in the area also raised concerns about roads and water during the visit, which officials said they would address. A Diamond Rush in South Africa, Born of Desperation and Distrust u/AutoModerator avatar AutoModerator 1 u/Pyrhan avatar. ![]() Like many areas in South Africa, high levels of unemployment and poverty have left communities living hand to mouth. The event had highlighted the challenges faced by local people, he continued. “The value, if any, of the quartz crystals is yet to be established but it must be mentioned that the value of quartz crystals is very low compared to that of diamonds.” “The tests conducted conclusively revealed that the stones discovered in the area are not diamonds as some had hoped,” he said. ![]() Fortune-seekers dig for the stones after word spread they could be diamonds. ![]()
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