News that there are propitious prospects for a formal diamond mine in Koalabata could not have come at a better time for residents of a village whose name has been soiled over the past year by one of its residents, ritual killings accused Lehlohonolo Scott.
What makes the news uplifting is not just that there would be something positive coming out of the beleaguered village but that the model this mining operation would follow is participatory.
Intensive consultations are being made with villagers in the community where the mine would be located.
Among the issues that a November 2 public gathering touched on includes the effects of the mine’s sand blowing to the neighbouring villages, water sources pollution, noise pollution by stone crushers and villagers’ loss of farmland and crops to the mine.
The availability of the kimberlite containing diamonds in Koalabata is not news on its own.
There was a mine in the 1960s and living memory recalls a “white” miner, incidentally called Scott, used to operate a mine on the same spot.
To date, there are minor operations by individual villagers who dig up the precious stone for some hand-to-mouth needs.
Having a fully capitalised mining operation would create jobs for hoards of unemployed youths in the community and beyond.
The fact that the prospective mine would be situated at the same site were mining activity was carried out in the past means not many families are likely to be displaced to make way for the operation when it takes off.
Villagers, for a long time patronised and seen as mere “masses” on whose behalf someone must make decisions, are at least being consulted on what they want and they would therefore, take ownership of the whole process from its genesis.
As one of the villagers puts it: “If the project continues then we are expecting roads and water infrastructure in the Koalabata village and neighbouring villages.
“Again one of the developments that this mine project should bring is rehabilitation of the old dilapidated Koalabata Primary School as a way of giving back to the community where the mine would be located”.
According to a villager who attended the public gathering the meeting ended with a resolution that there should be a committee that would ensure that the best interests of the community are served while the miner extracts the diamonds.
This is important in nipping possible friction between communities and the company in the bud; a common problem that has characterised similar investments, not only here in Lesotho but also in many other countries around the globe.
We recall there were families relocated from Katse Dam to make way for the construction of a mega dam that was completed in the 1990s.
Some of these were relocated to Thaba Bosiu, among other locations. It would seem there was not enough consultation with these families hence there were complaints of unmet agreements and expectations a few years ago.
That era of more socially responsible investment upon us is seen in the fact that the same company went on to conduct similar consultations.
The company, Chinese-owned Nan Jiang Lesotho Mining Resources (Pty) Ltd, will also be prospecting for diamonds in the Matsoku area.
A company spokesperson said they will conduct similar consultations in Matsoku to get the surrounding communities’ buy-in.
He added that consultations with the communities and exploration of the environment to be affected would be conducted all year round to establish which natural plants, animals and birds are going to be endangered by the mine projects.
If the diamond find proves to be commercially viable, the project promises not only to secure employment for some but also looks set to secure some social benefits for the community in the area, a development which would open a new chapter in securing beneficial spin-offs for the villagers.