OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

• Minor non-point impact of agricultural return flows from intensive irrigation areas; and
• Moderate amounts of litter and domestic garbage alongside the roads that traverse the sub-catchment.
5.8.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
The following mining operations are of interest in the Middle Letaba and Great Letaba sub-catchment (Figures
4.2 and 4.3; Table 5.15).
Table 5.15: Mining operations in the Middle Letaba and Great Letaba sub-catchments.
Code
Number
Name of Mine
Commodity
(ies) Mined
cccxxv
Status
Relative
Size
Probable
Impact
B7-8 Soekmekaar Corundum Operating Small Low
B8-2 Giyani alluvial Gold Artisan (few) V. small Low - Medium
B8-4 Giyani Phosphate Phosphate Prospecting Small Very low
B8-5 Letaba Vermiculite Vermiculite Prospecting Small Very low
B8-6 Marikani Vermiculite Prospecting Small Very low
B8-7 Letaba Vermiculite Prospecting Small Very low
B8-8 Main Mine Gold Operating Small Low
B8-9 Main Stone Dimension stone Operating Medium Very low
B8-10 Golden Davey Gold Operating Small Low
B8-11 Davey Feldspar Operating Small Very low
5.8.3 Alluvial mining
Alluvial gold mining takes place along the Nsama River where it crosses the Giyani Greenstone formation. The
number of people involved in this activity is apparently low, but their activities contribute mercury and arsenic to
the river.
5.8.4 Monitoring systems
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) routinely collects water samples and gauges flows at a
few sites in this sub-catchment, as part of its national monitoring programme.
5.8.5 Water quality data
A selection of water quality data has been obtained for this sub-catchment (Table 5.16). Whilst these data do
not refer specifically to the implications of mining activities, they do provide a picture of the general water quality
in the rivers of the sub-catchment