BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – The much-awaited results for the Phase Two of the Airborne Geophysical Survey will be out before the end of the current financial year.
According to the 2024/25 First Quarter Performance Report of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, the survey had been done for the last two regions, which are Lubombo and Shiselweni. The report states that the survey has now been finished and the results are being compiled.
“Phase Two of the Airborne Geophysical Survey has been successfully completed for the collection of high resolution airborne geophysical data in the Shiselweni and Lubombo regions. The Consultant is currently manipulating the data for the identification of potential mineral targets in the two regions. Results are expected before the end of the financial year,” states part of the report.
The second phase was launched in December last year by the then acting Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Jabulani Mabuza, who is now House of Assembly Speaker. The second phase of the Multidisciplinary Geoscience Survey Mapping is said to have cost around E18 million.
According to local media reports, from 2021 to 2022, the ministry conducted Phase 1 of multi-disciplinary Geoscience Mapping exercise in the Manzini and Hhohho regions, which was worth E17 million. The exercise was aimed at identifying and prioritising mineral targets in the country.
The E17 million worth survey was groundbreaking as a new group of minerals from Copper-Nickel-Platinum Group Elements were discovered in three different areas in the Hhohho Region, which are Siphocosini, Mhlambanyatsi and LaMgabhi-Luyengo.
Meanwhile, a mining company which was granted mining rights at Mhlume has completed its box cut to access coal underground and export of coal for a trial mining. The Commonwealth Secretariat completed their mission to Eswatini for the review of the Mines & Minerals Act, 2011 and the recommendations and draft proposal have been submitted to the Ministry for adoption.
