Harmony Gold Mine in Virginia

The Sanlam Kay Motsepe Schools Cup finishes off this weekend with a parade in Virginia in the Free State. Harmony Academy won the event and are going to get R 1 000 000 to use on legacy projects. Harmony Academy is well known in South Africa for their soccer history but the area is also known for its Gold mining producing one of the world’s richest gold mining regions.

The town’s name comes from 2 railway surveyors from Virginia in the United States who in 1890 etched their names and birthplace on a boulder near the farm Merrispruit. When the railway siding was established the name was adopted. The next significant date was in 1955 when gold was found on the banks of the Sand River.

It is significant to know that, during the apartheid era, black people were not allowed to live in the town and had to commute from Meloding. This is quite fascinating since Harmony Academy is a predominantly black school and they have uplifted the area due to their soccer skills. Another interesting fact is that the town exists due to the various gold mines that are in the area and they have been built on the blood and sweat of their black workers.

Naturally the kids that will be involved in the parade will not be thinking about the history of the area when they drive through on their open bus. They are the future of the area and they will just be thinking about the future that they are about to create for themselves.

About the mine

The Harmony Free State Operations are located on the south-western corner of the Witwatersrand Basin, between the towns of Allanridge, Welkom, Theunissen and Virginia. The basin, situated on the Kaapvaal Craton, has been filled by a 6-kilometre thick succession of sedimentary rocks, which extends laterally for hundreds of kilometers.

The Free State goldfield is divided into two sections, cut by the north-south De Bron Fault. This major structure has a vertical displacement of about 1 500m in the region of Bambanani, as well as a lateral shift of 4km. This lateral shift can allow a reconstruction of the orebodies of Unisel to the west of the De Bron and Merriespruit to the east. A number of other major faults (Stuirmanspan, Dagbreek, Arrarat and Eureka) lie parallel to the De Bron Fault.

The western margin area is bound by synclines and reverse thrust faults and is structurally complex. Towards the south and east, reefs sub-crop against overlying strata, eventually cutting out against the Karoo to the east of the lease area.

Mining that has taken place is mostly deep-level underground mining, exploiting the narrow, generally shallow dipping tabular reefs.

The Basal Reef is the most common reef and is mined at nearly all the shafts. It varies from a single pebble lag to channels of more than 2m in thickness. It is commonly overlain by shale, which gets thicker further North.

The second major reef is the Leader Reef, located 15-20m above the Basal Reef. This is mostly mined by the shafts in the South. The reef consists of multiple conglomerate units, separated by thin quartzitic zones, often getting up to 4 m thick.

Preparing for the Naukluft 8 Day Hiking Trail

Tomorrow, after voting in our municipal elections, we are going to Namibia to hike the Naukluft 8 day hiking trail in the Namib Naukluft Park. This is not a hike for the weak.

Originally we were meant to hike the famous Fish River Canyon hike in the second largest canyon in the world but due to floods in Northern Namibia the hike was closed until the end of May so we had to make another plan. We decided to do the Naukluft instead.

What they actually meant is that we had to increase our hike by 3 days but we were not allowed to take additional leave so that has left us with very little time to travel there, do the hike and travel back home. Actually we have 1 day to get there, 1 night to sleep, 8 days and 7 nights on the trail, 1 nights rest and a day to get back home. Not that much time at all especially considering that we have to drive 1800 km each way or 20 hours each way. It is going to be a rushed hike.

I have teamed up with one of the other hikers so we are sharing food and cooking gear. That will make out back packs much lighter. We are also lucky that in each of the camps there is drinkable water. I have taken purification drops just in case but we should be OK without them. For a change, during the hike we should find running water. Other than that we are on our own.

Apparently I have been given a role as a type of leader in the hike. I am the only one with the trail on my GPS and I am the only one that has some kind of understanding of the router that we will have to take. Considering that this is my role I have failed the team even before leaving for the hike. I have been worked to the bone in the office just so I could do the hike so I have not been able to get proper topographical maps or at least a profile of the route. It’s not the end of the world since my GPS has got topographical maps in it but still I should have done more for the hike.

Another contribution that I have made for the team is to let 4 of us use my car. I have just bought the Toyota Fortuner 4x4 4L 6V petrol and it is going to be given a test run. Good luck car. We are going to take turns driving so the 20 hour drive will not be all that taxing on anyone.

There is something that I would love to do on my way home. Sossusvlei, one of the world’s top destinations and the largest desert of Petrified dunes in the world, is in flood. This does not happen often and people are travelling from all over the world just to see it. I cannot miss this opportunity. I hope that my car mates do not mutiny and take my car away from me because they are missing their loved ones. I hope that they are as amazed as I am about this event.

About the hike:

The Naukluft Hiking Trail is in the South of Namibia in the easternmost horn of the Namib Naukluft Park. The hike is an eight day hike and it covers about 20KM of rough terrain. The hike is not flat at all going from 1250m until 1950 there are points on the hike where chains are used to help the hikers climb cliff faces and waterfalls. I am expecting the nights to be very cold (6 degrees Celsius) and the days to be warm (30 degrees Celsius).

Due to the terrain it is not recommended for unfit hikers. I had to have a medical evaluation before even leaving Johannesburg for the hike which I have to submit to the nature conservator at the start of the hike.

One of my goals is to get to the 4 day shelter where there are lockers where we can leave food for the last 4 days. I am not sure if we will make it in time. It is a huge risk for the whole team.

There are water pumps at all the camps where you have to manually pump your day’s drinking water. It is recommended that you take at least 2L of drinking water a day and still control your usage. Camel packs that can fit into a back pack are a huge advantage together with 2 x 1L squeeze bottles.

There are loads of animals around but it is not recommended that you take a large pair of binoculars with you; due to the terrain you will mainly be able to see the animals from close up. According to one of the website you will be able to see Steenbok, Springbok, Oryx, Kudu, Mountain Zebra, Dassie Rat, Chacma Baboon, Rock Dassie, Klipspringer, Hartmann's mountain zebra and over 200 bird species. We have to be very wary of Snakes and scorpions and my doctor told me to spray tick repellent because of tick bite fever.

Detailed itinerary taken from Trails for Africa

Day 1: Naukluft campsite - Putte shelter (14km) Starting at the main Campsite, you climb two fairly steep ascents of 200m each. There are magnificent views of the valley below and endless desert hills beyond. There may be water about half way depending on the time of year. The Putte overnight shelter is reached after a strenuous 6 hours. If you are carrying food for the full 8 day trail then get an early start so you can take it real slow for the sake of your feet.

Day 2: Putte shelter - Ubisis shelter (15km) you descend into Ubusis kloof the first of many impressive dry or almost dry canyons. Chains have been anchored in the rock where necessary and extreme caution is advised when negotiating them. There is water in the kloof. At the end of a six-hour hike you reach the Ubusis hut which is an old farm cottage. There are flush toilets and a cold shower.

Day 3: Ubisis shelter - Alderhorst shelter (12km) after backtracking to 'Bergpos' windmill, the day's hike is a comfortable stroll across the plateau. Take care to fill you water bottles before leaving kloof as this is the last water for the day. The chances of spotting Kudu and Zebra are very good. Four to six hours hiking brings you to the Adlerhorst shelter. The time taken depends on how quickly you negotiate the chains. Going up is easier than going down.

Day 4: Adlerhorst shelter - Tsams Ost shelter (17km) you travel through the Tsams River gorge with one very steep ascent to bypass a waterfall. A number of beautiful springs greet you shortly before the Tsams Ost shelter. You should manage this day's hike in six to seven hours. This is where you pick up your food parcel if you left one. Tsam Ost is a good exit point if you are not feeling up to the next 4 days which are tougher (you will need to arrange for someone to collect you before hand as there are no park personnel at Tsam Ost).

Day 5: Tsams Ost shelter - Die Valle shelter (17 km) You start with an initial steep ascent up 'Broekskeur' after which the trail meanders through patches of euphorbias and quiver-trees. There is no water on this day as the "fontein pomp" is no longer in operation (despite the map indicating water there). The day should take six to seven hours.

Day 6: Die Valle shelter - Tufa shelter (16 km) you start by climbing steeply to the top of the 'Die Valle' waterfall which is some 200m high. Although normally dry, it is still a magnificent sight. There are magnificent pools above the waterfall and these are one of the few places you can actually have a decent swim. A total of six hours hiking gets you to the Tufa shelter for the night.

Day 7: Tufa shelter - Kapokvlakte shelter (14 km)Another steep ascent up a well-vegetated kloof brings you to another dry waterfall which is scaled with the help of chains(the toughest of the trail). Today you reach 'Bakenkop', the highest point on the trail from where you look down at the Tsondap river valley 600m below. A five hour hike brings you to the Kapokvlakte shelter. There is no water on this day.

Day 8: Kapokvlakte shelter - Naukluft campsite (16 km) the final day should take about five hours hiking, finally arriving at crystal clear pools about 40 minutes away from the end. The only other pool where a swim is possible. This also forms part of the Olive tree day trail, and returns you to the campsite where you started.