Extracts and Comments | Discussions
Comments on the Swaziland Greenstone Quarry
Ian R. Swingland
The proposed Green Chert mine near Mgywayiza north MNR.
I visited the site on Sunday 14th September 1997 with Richard Boycott (Senior Warden, Malolotje Nature Resreve) and Robin Hoogwoert (Manager, Knight Piesold, Mbabane).
The highveld Afro-montane forest is primary habitat with a number of important bird and tree species which are uncommon. The inaccessibility of the site and the position of the chert deposit insure considerable upheaval both in infrastructural changes, permanent habitat loss, social and security risks, crime, social and other support needs (eg hospital), with no agreed mitigation, compensatory and other ameliorations for local people, biodversity conservation and national benefit.
Swaziland is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 which it has signed and ratified. It specifically states that extractive mining is not allowed in protected areas. Moreover this international convention is superior to the temporal laws of Swaziland. The King of Swaziland, although above these laws, is not above an international Convention to which his country has formally agreed.
Good quality chert is a semi-precious stone fetching several thousand dollars per kgs and even poor quality can be used with a high finished-product value. Finished chert products require various manufacturing processes, or value-adding, to carve good stone into objet d'art or poorer stone into surfaces, tombstones, and decorative windows. Eighty percent of its value is through this process which if done outside Swaziland will deprive Swaziland of considerable employment and revenue.
The extractive rate proposed of 300 metric tonnes or 120 cu.m. per year. This is 3,600 tonnes/year or 3,600,000 kgs per year. It is safe to assume an average profit of US$100 per kg. (the current profit expected from semi-precious minerals such as chert) or an annual profit US$360m per annum. It is also safe to assume that the deposits seen are sufficient to assure an eleven year extraction programme, as proposed. Initial investment will be in the region of US50-100m with an expected total profit of US$3.9 billion over the period of the contract proposed. Most of this profit will be secured by the contractees outside Swaziland because the major proportion of the income is derived from the manufactured product which cannot be resourced or skilled within the Kingdom.
The loss to the nation's cultural and natural heritage will be permanent. The benefit to the nation put against the rise in crime, property disputes, ill health and injury increases, the need for substantial roads (or preferably a cable lift hopper system which would speed extraction providing the contractee did not want large single pieces too great for the hopper's capacity, and it would create less environmental damage), and the destruction of biodiversity which will bring the Kingdom into conflict with the international community and cut it off from greater financial help than is currently on offer is unsupportable.
If the Kingdom was to proceed it should secure a 50:50 share of profit against a specific list of agreed benefits to the country including employment; technology skills transfer; biodiversity conservation compensation in the form of an enlargement of MNR, freehold of the site and facilities after eleven years; habitat restoration and replanting programmes; a programme of social development and outreach programmes including environmental education and agricultural support for local people; health and poverty alleviation programmes; micro-finance investment and support for small business growth; and finally an increase in law enforcement. A programme in the order of US$150m per annum.
Ian R. Swingland
Founder & Professor of Conservation Biology
The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology
Kent
CT2 7NS
UK
Institute tel:44 1227 827282
Institute fax: 44 1227 827839
Institute room: 44 1227 823537
Visiting Professor of Conservation, Universities of Auckland,
Manchester Metropolitan, Florence and Michigan
European Member Species Survival Commission IUCN