Intsikelelo Eza Ingaqondwanga
uMzantsi Afrika lilizwe elinethamsanqa kakhulu. Sisikelelwe ngekhaya elizinzileyo kwelona lizwekazi lidala ehlabathini. Sikude lee kwiinyikima nee ntaba-mlilo. Amatye wethu agubeke abangumhlaba ochumileyo, noxhasa izityalo ezahlukileyo. Sine pecenti enkulu esihamba phezu kwayo yeminerali zexabiso. Untlitheko lwase Vredefort lwabangumtshito nje omnyama nonqabileyo kwimballi yethu. Akunjalo?Uphando lwakutsha nje lubonakalise ukuba untlitheko lwase Vredefort yaba yintsikelelo eza ingaqondwanga. Ewe, yenza omkhulu wona umonakalo. Kakade,iziphumo zoluntlitheko yaba ziinyanga zobumnyama kunye nengqele njengoko uthuli lwasisitha elangeni. Kodwa yanceda nemigodi yethu yegolide ukuba ingonakali.
Igolide Yexabiso
Ngethuba ibolide ibetheka, yaqhekeza umhlaba yaze yangenisa amatye enzulwini yomhlaba, yabe ivuthela kufutshane nombindi we crater. Amatye nothuli olwaphuma apha lwathi wambu lengingqi yonke, ombathisa amatye angaphantsi. Amatye olekeneyo e Witwatersrand Supergroup azele yigolide, atsho akhuseleka kuba atshoveleka ngaphantsi komhlaba.Ukuba oluntlitheko lwase Vredefort lwalungazange lwenzeke, igolide exabisekileyo ngeyahlala kufutshane nomphezulu womhlaba ize ikhukuliseke de iphele nya. Endaweni yoko legolide yahlala ikhuselekile ngobunjalo bayo emathunjini omhlaba, kwaye yakwazi nokwembiwa ngenkulu yona impumelelo. Ukusukela ngomnyaka ka 1886 ngethuba kufunyanwa igolide kulendawo, sele sombe iitoni ezingama 50 000 zobu butyebi. Esi sibalo sizi pesenti ezingapha kwama 30% ukodlula isibalo se golide eyakhe yombiwa, kwaye uMzantsi Afrika uqulathe malunga nama 50% wemigodi ye golide ekumhlaba wonke uphelele.
Silelona lizwe livelisa igolide kwihlabathi lonke, kunye nemveliso engaphaya kwama 400 eetoni ngonyaka, esi sibalo sifikelela kuma 17% wegolide esiyivelisayo xa kuthelekiswa nehlabathi liphela.
Okuhle Okuthile Okulandelayo
Ubudlelwane phakathi kwemigodi yegolide kune nontlitheko lwase Vredefort kucacisa izinto ezininzi. Okokuqala, businceda ukuba siqonde isizathu sokuba imigodi yegolide ese Witwatersrand ihamba ngomgca osuka eJohannesburg Johannesburg ukunqumla eWest Rand kunye nase Klerksdorp, ukuya kuma eWelkom. Lomgca ugoso ukumgama ongephi nombindi we Dome, kwaye kungatshiwo ukuba lomgca sisangqa esijikeleze icrater eyaqala yabakhona.Okwesibini, oluntlitheko lwabanga lamatye athwele igolide ayeliseleke enzulwini yomhlaba, axwesela emazantsi. Oku azange kube yingxaki ekuqaleni, kuba imigodi yegolide yayikwindawo apho amatye egolide ayengene phantsi komhlaba.
Kodwa ke njengokuba abembi begolide belandela lendlela inalamatye, bafumanisa ukuba baya besehlela ezantsi emathunjini omhlaba. Uzuqonde, uMzantsi Afrika uneyona migodi yakhe yabanzulu kwihlabathi liphela. Umgodi okufutshane ne Potchefstroom obizwa nge Mponenge Mine, nowawukade usaziwa njenge Western Deep Levels, ungowona uphume phambili ngobunzulu. Unomngxunya ofikelela kubunzulu obuzi khilomitha ezi 4.
Khawufane ucinge ukuba inganjani isentyuri yamashumi amabini ngaphandle kwe golide
Witwatersrand, okanye eVredefort impact eyasindisa legolide entshabalalweni. Oko kubonisa ukuba sonke isiganeko esibi sinokuhle okuthile okulandelayo.
Translated by Zizipho Silwana