The Kingdom of Lesotho is known for having high quality ice – the water and diamond type of ice, that is, writes Dr Nicolaas C Steenkamp.
Image by natanaelginting on Freepik
The tiny Kingdom of Lesotho is the main supplier of two highly sought after commodities – water and diamonds. It was previously the British Crown colony of Basutoland, which was given independence by the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. South Africans also regularly travel to Lesotho to experience snow and visit one of the few locations that offer the opportunity to ski in Africa – the Sani Pass sporting the highest pub in Africa and also a major attraction for 4×4 enthusiasts. The Basotho blanket, grass- hats and ponies have also become internationally recognised as uniquely part of the Lesotho culture.
The geology of the Kingdom of Lesotho is almost exclusively underlain by rocks of the Karoo Supergroup, comprising of sediments which cover a quarter of the surface area in the northwest and southwest, and volcanics of the Stormberg, which dominate in the central and eastern part of the country. The economic mineral potential of Lesotho is limited to the following commodities: diamonds, uranium, semiprecious stones, possibly mercury, coal and industrial minerals due to the restriction of Upper Karoo deposits.
The diamond mineralisation is dominated by kimberlites, and to a lesser extent, by alluvial gravels. Lesotho is known to have over 400 kimberlite bodies recorded with 343 occurring as dykes, 39 as pipes and 23 as blows. The density of Kimberlite intrusions in Lesotho is considered to be of the highest density in the world. Kimberlites are widespread throughout the country, but northern Lesotho is probably the most concentrated area, with an average intrusion of one per 10km². The potential of alluvial gravels in the lowland of the southwestern region remains to be assessed.
Lesotho has also gained a reputation for producing some of the larger gemstone quality diamonds. The main diamond mines operated in Lesotho are: Gem Diamonds operating the Letšeng Mine situated in the Maluti Mountains (about 3.100 metres/10.200 ft in elevation) – making it one of the highest mines in the world, Firestone Diamonds Plc and Kopane Diamond Development Plc – having developed the Liqhobong mine, Lucara Diamond operating the Mothae mine, while Namakwa Diamonds Ltd started mining production at Kao mine.
Apart from diamonds, Lesotho also hosts a range of semi-precious gemstones, including agate, amethyst, olivine, zircon and chrome diopside, which are currently exploited on a small scale. The amygdale-rich basalt road-cuts also continue to attract visitors to stop along the high mountain passes and to take photographs of frozen small waterfalls.
The occurrence of uranium is limited, and due to the current market conditions, the interest in exploring and developing these uranium deposits are very low. The same is true for the mercury sector where isolated minor occurrences of cinnabar have been recorded within the lower part of the Drakensberg lava flows. Limited quarrying of dimension stone is undertaken, where sandstones of the Molteno, Elliot and Clarens Formations and fine-grained basalts of the Drakensberg Group are mined. From a paleontological perspective, the Kingdom of Lesotho also has the potential to develop the fossiliferous Molteno and Elliot Formations to attract visitors.
The tiny Kingdom of Lesotho is the main supplier of two highly sought after commodities – water and diamonds. Image supplied by Tatenda Mapigoti | Unsplash
The Lesotho Highland Water Scheme is a main source of income for the country, with more than 1.1-billion in royalties that South Africa pays for the water it receives annually from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP). This is equivalent to about 5% of Lesotho’s annual budget. The project has also made Lesotho almost completely self-sufficient in the generation of electrical power. The Katse Dam and other pumped water schemes remain engineering marvels in southern Africa. A visit to the Katse Dam is also a worthwhile trip.
In the past year there have, however, been concerns around the quality of the water being supplied to South Africa and if potential pollution by the mining industry is occurring at source. The pollution is indicated to be mainly nitrates that enter the system and eventually end up in South African dams. The nitrates are derived from explosive residues created during open pit mining operations in the Lesotho Highlands.
The dependence on mining by the citizens of Lesotho can easily be seen by the number of people wearing branded overalls from various mines, wandering the roads and towns of Lesotho, while the rural population is largely dependent on self-sustaining farming and trade. The economy of the Kingdom of Lesotho is closely interlinked with the success of the South African economy and the Loti is on par with the South African Rand. Landlocked and economically entwined in South Africa, it is likely that Lesotho will remain the ‘unofficial’ tenth province of South Africa.
Balancing the benefits of the diamond mining industry on the one hand and the supply of high-quality water on the other will remain one of the challenges Lesotho will face in the near future. The country must also push forward in efforts to make it a tourist destination of choice, capitalising on the amazing scenery of the Maluti Mountains.
The Kingdom of Lesotho is known for having high quality ice – the water and diamond type of ice, that is. Image supplied by Hanny Hilary | Unsplash