The unidentified stones that lured thousands of fortune-seekers to a rural South African village to plow the land with picks and shovels were not diamonds, officials said Sunday, but relatively low-value quartz stones.
In the year 14 June 14 June 14 In the village of Kwahlati, outside Ladysmith in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, fortune seekers flock to the village after pictures and videos of people celebrating what they believe to be diamonds were released on social media. 2021. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko/File photo
People from all over South Africa have traveled to Kwahlati, in the country’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal state, where villagers have been digging since June 12 after a shepherd broke the news after finding the first stone in a field.
Regional Economic Development and Tourism Executive Council member Ravi Pillai told the media on Sunday that during a visit to the site, he counted around 3,000 and took samples to identify the stones.
“The tests concluded that the stones found in the area were not diamonds, as some had thought, but were quartz crystals,” he said.
“The value of quartz crystals, if any, has not yet been established, but it should be noted that the value of quartz crystals is very low compared to diamonds.”
He said the event highlighted the social and economic problems faced by the local people. As in many areas in South Africa, high levels of unemployment and poverty have left communities living hand-to-mouth.
During the visit, people in the area raised their concerns, especially around roads and water, and officials said they would respond in the briefing.
Meanwhile, the number of people clearing the land has been reduced to less than 500, Pili said, despite extensive damage to the 50-hectare area with holes up to one meter deep, and the danger to livestock.
He said that while law enforcement agencies may be deployed if necessary, those who continue to mine in the area will be encouraged to leave, which poses a risk of the spread of Covid-19.
