South Africans Fear for People in KZN After Lithium Was Discovered in the Province

• South Africans were alarmed after they heard about the discovery of lithium in KwaZulu-Natal two days ago on social media
• A young lady shared the news on TikTok and feared for the locals who would bear the brunt of the mining operations 
• Social media users shared their thoughts about the matter in a thread of over 1.2K comments and expressed their concerns 

A young South African woman on TikTok, Asisipho Mbeki, informed the people of Mzansi about a new mineral discovery.

The news about an alleged crime syndicate by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had been making headlines, but stories like these weren’t looked into. Mbeki broke it down for her social media friends on TikTok.

The youngster also shared how the discovery of minerals in KwaZulu-Natal would disrupt locals. Her video has garnered over 323K views in two days.

SA fears for locals in KZN after the discovery of lithium 

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A young South African woman, Asisipho Mbeki, who shares a lot of political and current affairs stories on TikTok, revealed to Mzansi a brewing problem for people in KwaZulu-Natal. Mbeki mentioned two days ago that the long-running story of an alleged crime syndicate in the country slowed down the significance of other important issues in the country, like the discovery of lithium in parts of KZN, investigated by Daily Maverick.

Mbeki worried that the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, had his hands too full to look into the situation, as he’s also the acting Minister of Police while Senzo Mchunu is on special leave. Mbeki explained that the lithium mine in uMzumbe is developing at a very rapid pace.

The areas of interest for the scramble of the mineral and other natural resources are uMzumbe, Hibberdene and Port Shepstone. SA Lithium/Afli Exploration has targeted 40,000 hectares of farmland to dig and explore.

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Watch the TikTok video below:

What is lithium, and what makes it a valuable resource? 

Lithium is a form of metal that is used to manufacture batteries for electronics. The demand for lithium has rapidly increased because of the new production of electric vehicles around the world.

Lithium is also used in mobile phones, digital cameras, and military communications. The speed of the exploration of the small mine near uMzumbe has caused a lot of fear among locals in KZN.

Some were alarmed by the thought of possibly being forced to evacuate their homes because of the heavy operations. People are concerned about communities being disrupted, especially those experiencing high unemployment rates.

The people of uMzumbe have already witnessed blasting operations, which began in 2023, and the increased volume of the rumbling monster trucks driving past their homes and schools regularly.

Lithium mine in Congo causes major disruptions 

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by conflict for decades because of its natural resources. The country’s mineral wealth, which includes lithium, cobalt and coltan, has made it a target for illegal miners. 

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According to an article by CNN, 3,000 people were killed in two weeks by armed groups who fought for ownership over lithium mines. 

SA worried about KZN after discovery of lithium mine

South Africans shared their thoughts on the matter in the comments:

@ke_Malekoa| fashion hacks highlighted:

“We need to stop with alcohol and inform ourselves of important matters in our country.”

@Gxxdnewz💨💨 wondered:

“How is South Africa such a mineral-rich country, but mining isn't a subject in primary school?”

@SindiM commented:

“As soon as you said lithium is used in electric cars, I knew Elon Musk must be involved somewhere, somehow.”

@Zina_and_Mom🇿🇦 worried:

“This is another Congo saga brewing.”

@kaelith 🧚said:

“This is how things started in Congo, by the way.”

3 More stories related to the mining industry by Briefly News

• South Africans were stunned to see a massive luxurious mansion in rural KwaZulu-Natal after watching a viral video.
• A South African coffin factory in KwaZulu-Natal went viral on TikTok after their official page posted what work looked like for them.
• South Africans went wild after seeing one bride from KwaZulu-Natal wearing her riches during her extravagant traditional wedding.

Source: Briefly News