Russian company ‘mining diamonds’ in Bubi

By Dumisani Nsingo

A RUSSIAN company Glernaton is extracting garnet, a rock closely related to various precious minerals among them diamonds along Mbembesi River in Bubi, Matabeleland North.

Bubi district environmental officer Mr Sydney Muyambi confirmed that the Russian company has been mining the stone for over two years in the area.

“There is a Russian company called Glernaton, which comes along Mbembesi river exploring for garnet, which is a rock which forms in an area where there are diamonds. Every year they come looking for that mineral,” Mr Muyambi said.

Garnet is a precious stone, but describes a group of several closely related minerals. Garnets come in a variety of colours and have many different varieties. However, the most widely-known colour of garnet gemstones is dark red.

When the term “garnet” is used, it is usually connotative of the dark red form; other colour garnets are usually given more descriptive gemstone terms.

Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Fred Moyo acknowledged that there were numerous kimberlite pipes in Bubi but said the distribution stretches up to Binga district.

“Of course there are kimberlites in Bubi which stretch up to Lupane and Binga, this is indicated by our traditional geological map. I am, however, not aware that there is a company that is mining for garnet but garnets are a host for diamonds,” Moyo said.

It is not only the Russian company that is said to be eyeing diamonds in the area.

Mr Muyambi said another company Montero Mining and Exploration was also exploring diamonds in Bubi.

“We have kimberlite pipes, which covers quite an extensive area. It’s only that it’s deep. It covers Wards 2, 4, 5, 17 and 18. The pipe stretches up to Lupane. There is a Harare-based company, Montero, which is assumed to be having a Special Grant of the Bubi kimberlites. The company is said to be in the prospecting stage and there is proof that there is diamond,” Mr Muyambi said.

The area is rich in a number of minerals including gold.

Mr Myambi said three big companies Casmyn Mining, Umviga and Bilboes Gold Mines and more 200 small scale miners were already mining gold in the area.

“We have nickel in the Dromoland area in Ward 12 and there is already a company that is doing exploration work in preparation to start copper mining at a place called Allendale Sea and there is also limestone, which was once mined in this area sometime ago but the company, which was doing so stopped long ago,” Mr Muyambi said.

He said geological surveys carried out in the district have proved that there were kimberlite pipes of diamonds stretching as far as Lupane district, which are still to explored to establish a resource which is mineable. Sunday News