Residents of kwaHlathi have been involved in a 21st century diamond rush after posts appeared on social media alleging that the hills around Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal were teeming with precious stones.
Their hopes were dashed when an expert confirmed that the precious stones were not diamonds. This is according to Ravi Pillay who is the MEC of Economic Development in KwaZulu-Natal.
KwaHlathi turned into an overnight attraction. Everybody living in and around Ladysmith, was looking to make a big score on the new discovery of what they thought were diamond stones.
According to an article published by the Independent Media, the shiny stones were discovered by a herdsman who spotted one while he was watching his cattle in the veld. The herdsman who was identified as Dwayne Maskutule kept what he had seen to himself until last month, May when he told his friends about it and that is when everybody wanted to get their hands on the big discovery as well.
In social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, the locals are visibly seen on various pictures and videos digging up the shiny stones with their home equipment with each one trying to make a discovery as big as there could be.
The large number of people who went to dig at the hill can be seen clustered together without wearing face masks or observing social distancing which are some of the regulations in line with the covid-19 protocols.
The people of kwaHlathi have started to envision their lives and wishes finally coming to fruition when the stones were discovered and a video of a man calling home and already making promises to his family, saying that they would be going to eat in Dubai. The man is clearly heard saying words such as “ubaba usewinile” which translates to daddy has won.
Twitter went viral when a video was shared by @TheBlackspice [1]and on the video residents are clearly seen using home tools to dig up the newly discovered precious stones. With the stones being declared as non-diamond, the masses on twitter were still behind the people of Ladysmith and kwaHlathi telling them to keep the stones until they have enough money to verify the stones themselves and should not trust any government officials.
This week of the 13th of June, the #diamondrush trended on Twitter after a group of geoscientists and government officials that were sent to kwaHlathi declared the shiny stones to be only quartz. The public would not take it, out of rage @ProfMahlangu twitted.
Breaking News: Government act of 1986 by the Queen & amended by London ANC in 1995 has been unleashed o our people. ANC sent rats to say it’s not diamond but stones. Same government that doesn’t know about 10 babies. Don’t trust them, return nothing. Keep those stones #Diamondrush.
Quartz crystal are mineral shiny stones that are found on the earth’s continental crust, and they consist of silicon and oxygen, and this is according to an advertisement by Fire Mountain and Beads on their online store. These crystals are priced higher than other crystals, but they may vary according to the location where the crystal was discovered or made. The most recent use of quartz crystals is in the making of oscillators for time pieces including electronic devices such as computers and GPS equipment. Quartz crystals are what has enabled many people to experience and enjoy the benefits of wireless communication and according to Ramon M Cerda who wrote Understanding Quartz Crystals and Oscillators, wireless communication would not be possible without crystal-controlled transmission.
@Hlabirwa took to twitter to encourage the people of kwaHlathi to not lose hope with his tweet: Quartz crystals are still valuable nonetheless;
they are used in watches. Its not a train-smash #Diamondrush.
Following the declaration of the shiny stones as quartz crystals, according to Independent Media Maskutule, the herdsman who made the first discovery of the shiny stones has been relieved off his herding duties by his employer and is now in hiding as he fears for his life. His employer has also said the people of kwaHlathi, and Ladysmith have been coming to his home to look for Maskutule trying to force him to take them top the site where he said he discovered the diamonds on.
The kwaHlathi residents may have not found diamonds on the hills of their homestead but they may have found a way to advance South Africa in the manufacturing of digital devices and watches.
[1] https://twitter.com/TheBlackspice/status/1404030764778467328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1404030764778467328%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.iol.co.za%2Fnews%2Fkzns-apparent-diamond-rush-in-ladysmith-a-concern-for-government-9687889e-d457-5d91-a176-dd59cc71d90e
Victor Phemba 