Mining

Mogalakwena Municipality which falls under the Bushveld Mineral Complex which contain one the richest ore deposits on Earth. The reserve of chromium, platinum, palladium,osmiunm,iridium,rhodium,and ruthenium are the world’s lagest along with vast quantities of iron, tin, titanium and vanadium.

It is over 67000km2in exetent, an area the size of Ireleand. It extents from Rustenburg in the west through Mokopane, in the North Lydennburg in the East. A number of mines in the mogalakwena area of which include:

  1. Clay

    2. Clay is mined on the farm Weenen (between the N1 and R101 on the way to Polokwane) and is used by Weene Bricks in manufacturing of bricks and other pottery artickes

  2. Dimension Stone

    3. Granite mine on the farms Klipplaatdrift, Leyden and Bellevue.

  3. Limestone

    4. The main deposit is on the farm Uitloop. This reserve was exploited in the past to such an extent that it represented the main source of limestone in then Transvaal province. The Duitsland Formation, located to the south-east of Potgietersrus, contains several layers of limestone.

  4. Fluorspar

    5. A number of fluorspar deposits are located within the region, including those on the farms Buffelfontein, Vischaat and Eerste Geluk. The Buffalo Fluorspar mine was terminated.

  5. Tin


    6. The deposits of tin are mined on the farm Roodepoort, Zaaiplaats, Salomons’tempel and Groenfontein.

  6. Coal

    7. Waterberg District coal field has about 45% of the total coal reserve of South Africa, However, it should be noted that only a fraction of this coal could considered recoverable because the bulk is too deep to mine.
    The Grootegekuk mine owned by ISCOR was commissioned in April 1981,also there are three mining done farm Enkelbult, Daarby, Leewdrift,Turfbult and Hieromtrent.

  7. Granite

    8. Granite mining around Bakenberg

  8. Platinum

A PPL Mine around Mapela Villages owed by Anglo Platinum. Which since its arrival have help the municipality to source water from Doorndraai Dam.

Mogalakwena: A Unique Water Partnership
In early 2003, the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit (MIIU) completed one of its more complex partnerships. As with many municipalities in the Limpopo Province, water supply is an ongoing challenge for Mogalakwena, formerly Potgietersrust. With the many recent changes in local government, limited resources, and a semi-arid climate, Mogalakwena has struggled with bulk water supply for the past 10 years. Several planned projects, including a new pipeline from the Doorndraai dam, failed to materialize in 1999 due to limited finances and institutional problems.

The area’s largest industry, Anglo American Platinum Limited (PPL), uses the sewage effluent from the town’s wastewater treatment plant to process water in its mining operations. The lack of an adequate bulk water supply was also limiting PPL’s future expansion potential. In mid-2002, PPL approached the Municipality with an offer to finance the construction of the new Doorndraai pipeline. Because the pipeline would also lead to increased sewage flows, the company offered to make improvements in the wastewater treatment facilities.

The Municipality approached the MIIU in November last year to assist in putting this unique partnership together. An MIIU grant agreement was quickly negotiated and consultants selected, with MIIU staff playing an advisory and quality control role. Most of the work was completed by mid-2003, but much of the effort over that period involved consultation with the many stakeholders involved, including the local community, the Lepelle Northern Water Board (the operator of the existing dam and pipeline), Waterberg District Municipality (the statutory water service authority), the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and the Department of Environmental Affairs.

The Partnership consists of eight different contracts, a main general agreement, with additional specific agreements dealing with individual project activities. In general the partnership includes a series of Buy Operate and Transfer (BOT) concession contracts between PPL, the Water Board and the Municipality. PPL will retain ownership of the assets during the concession term but will transfer those assets to the public entities once the capital investment is recouped. The Water Board and the Municipality will continue to operate the facilities during the concession period. Also included in the partnership is an exchange of property between PPL and the Municipality for future mine housing to accommodate the 2,000 new employees to be added as the mine expands.

Along with the 16 megalitre pipeline, there will be a six megalitre addition to water treatment works and a nine megaliter upgrade of the wastewater treatment facilities. The total project value is approximately $27 million.

The partnership represents a unique win-win situation for all stakeholders. The Municipality will get a new, badly needed 16 megaliter per day pipeline. The PPL mine will get a guaranteed supply of process water for its expansion plans. PPL expansion will mean a considerable boost for the local economy.