GOLD MINING SOUTH AFRICA
It was with Erasmus Jacobs’s mining discovery of a diamond in 1867, along the Orange River banks that mining started on a large scale and brought in enormous profits to South Africa. This was followed by a discovery along Kimberley pipes thereafter. Gold rushes were found in Barberton and Pilgrim’s Rest, Main Reef and in 1886 the biggest gold filed was discovered in Witwatersrand. This gold rush brought in thousands of foreign nationals to start living in the area. This caused a tensed political situation which eventually resulted in the 1899 Second Boer War. The ownership of the gold mines were transferred to the Europeans of that time known as Randlords.
South Africa still remains at the world number two spot in the gold industry. It is filled with mineral riches. South Africa produces platinum, chrome, manganese, palladium, zirconium and rutile. It also plays a role in exporting coal.
Towards the 20th century the mining industry grew and assisted in the economy rising in its economic value. The revenue was used to purchase machinery and manufacturing products and petroleum products. By 2007, there were 493,000 workers in the gold mining industry. Almost half of the gold reserves of the world are in South Africa. East Rand Mine and TauTona mines are considered to be the two deepest mines of the world.
South Africa is considered to be a leading diamond leader in the world. De Beers Mining Company controls the main diamond source in South Africa and seven other diamond mines. The company held nearly 94 percent of the diamond output in 2003. Platinum and other metals are produced in South Africa more than other countries. 78 percent of platinum was produced in 2005, by South Africa. The revenue accumulated was close upon 3.82 billion dollars. South Africa also produces chromium and is a leading region in this mining industry. This metal is used as stainless steel and other industrial uses around the country. South Africa produces 39 percent of the world’s chromium.
The working conditions in South Africa are similar to that of other regions. The temperature is at 9 Celsius which is comparatively low. This temperature allows for miners to dig deep which is not always attainable elsewhere in the world. Loose rock need to be wetted constantly since there is silica dust everywhere. This can cause a hazard to one’s health. There is intensity in labour. Requirements for ventilation are huge and according to a survey for one thousand ton of mined rocks, six cubic m were needed per second. Heat is also another major issue. In order to keep the conditions stable, mine air was refrigerated. Some platinum mines also use this alternative. There is much criticism of the mining industry in South Africa since there have been record number of fatalities. The conditions are said to be improving. Since the gold mines tend to be deep, the conditions are more dangerous than platinum mines. In 2007, nearly 3200 workers were trapped temporarily at a mine in Elandskraal which caused much publicity. They were eventually rescued.
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