Historic Kimberley underground mine shut

JOHANNESBURG – Diamond giant De Beers quietly ceased underground mining at its historic Kimberley mines some two weeks ago and will probably not reopen them, the company said yesterday.

Diamonds have been mined at Kimberley since the 1860s, the town springing up in months after the discovery of the first gems sent prospectors flocking in from all over the British Empire. Kimberley was once said to have more millionaires per inch than anywhere else in the world and the mines – initially run by individual prospectors, later consolidated to form De Beers – made the fortunes of empire builders such as Cecil Rhodes.De Beers, 45 per cent owned by miner Anglo American, had long said its underground operations at Kimberley were unprofitable and had been consulting unions ahead of a possible closure.This process would continue for another month, it said, but underground mining had halted.”Underground operations have ceased,” De Beers spokeswoman Nicola Wilson said.”It’s a safety consideration because of morale underground.”De Beers managers were worried that safety might be affected if workers feared losing their jobs, she said, so underground operations had stopped on August 15, two weeks after consultation with the workforce formally began.The company will continue to process spoil heaps around the town – which accounted for 90 per cent of Kimberley’s production before the closure.Johan du Plessis, managing editor of the Diamond Fields Advertiser, said some residents were worried over the future of a variety of industries and small firms.After local government, De Beers is the second largest employer in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.”It’s pathetic,” said Du Plessis, whose newspaper opened in the 1860s at the height of the boom.”There’s over 100 years of mining, and when someone pressed the button to stop it they did it very quietly, very discreetly.People don’t have any information.”De Beers says it remains committed to Kimberley, which officially remains the company’s headquarters, and is investing to make the Big Hole – a open hole hundreds of metres deep that marked one of the first mines – a major tourist attraction.-Nampa-ReutersKimberley was once said to have more millionaires per inch than anywhere else in the world and the mines – initially run by individual prospectors, later consolidated to form De Beers – made the fortunes of empire builders such as Cecil Rhodes.De Beers, 45 per cent owned by miner Anglo American, had long said its underground operations at Kimberley were unprofitable and had been consulting unions ahead of a possible closure.This process would continue for another month, it said, but underground mining had halted.”Underground operations have ceased,” De Beers spokeswoman Nicola Wilson said.”It’s a safety consideration because of morale underground.”De Beers managers were worried that safety might be affected if workers feared losing their jobs, she said, so underground operations had stopped on August 15, two weeks after consultation with the workforce formally began.The company will continue to process spoil heaps around the town – which accounted for 90 per cent of Kimberley’s production before the closure.Johan du Plessis, managing editor of the Diamond Fields Advertiser, said some residents were worried over the future of a variety of industries and small firms.After local government, De Beers is the second largest employer in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.”It’s pathetic,” said Du Plessis, whose newspaper opened in the 1860s at the height of the boom.”There’s over 100 years of mining, and when someone pressed the button to stop it they did it very quietly, very discreetly.People don’t have any information.”De Beers says it remains committed to Kimberley, which officially remains the company’s headquarters, and is investing to make the Big Hole – a open hole hundreds of metres deep that marked one of the first mines – a major tourist attraction.-Nampa-Reuters