Impact from Mines

Impacts of mining and mineral processing activities on the water resources of the Limpopo River basin.

Sub-basin	Type of Mining	Water Quality Issues
Ngotwane/Bonwapitse	Other	Localized Drainage (AMD)
Lotsane	Other	Localized AMD, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Motloutse	Base metals, smelters	Copper, nickel, sulphate (SO₄), TDS
Shashe ¹	Gold, base metals, smelters, alluvial gold	Arsenic, AMD, bismuth, copernicium, copper, nickel, mercury pH, TDS, Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Mzingwane ¹	Gold, base metals, small-scale	AMD, arsenic, cobalt, mercury, nickel, pH, TDS, TSS
Dati ¹	Other	Minor TSS
Bubye	---	---
Mwenezi	Small-scale, other (emerald)	Chromium, TSS
Lower Limpopo and Chagane ¹	Other	Very minor localized TSS
Marico	Base metals, smelters, other	AMD, chromium, fluorine, lead, pH, TDS, TSS, zinc
Crocodile ¹	Gold, base metals, smelters, other	AMD, alkalinity, copper, chromium, copernicium, fluorine, iron, lead, manganese, pH, TDS, silver, TDS, TSS, zinc
Matlabas-Mokolo	Smelters, other	AMD, pH, TDS
Laphalala ¹	Base metals, other	Lead, tin, TSS
Theuniskloof ¹	Base metals, other	Iron, manganese, TSS
Mogalakwena	Gold, base metals, smelters, other	AMD, antimony, copernicium, pH, TDS, TSS, tin
Setoka-Soutsloot ¹	Other	TSS
Sand	Small-scale	Copper, mercury, nickel, TSS, TDS, zinc
Nzhelele	Other	Lead, nickel
Levuvhu	Other	AMD, pH, TDS, TSS
Wilge ¹	Gold, other	Localized AMD, fluorine, TSS
Riet & Little Olifants ¹	Base metals, smelters	AMD, copper, iron, manganese, pH, sulphate, TDS
Middle Olifants	Gold, base metals, other	AMD, chromium, copernicium, copper, iron, manganese, pH, tin, TDS, TSS, zinc
Steelpoort	Base metals, smelters	AMD, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, pH, sulphate, TDS, TSS, vanadium
Blyde ¹	Gold, small-scale	AMD, copernicium, TDS, TSS
Selati ¹	Gold, base metals, smelters, other	AMD, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, copernicium, pH, phosphorus, sulphate, TDS, TSS, zinc
Middle Letaba and Great Letaba ¹	Gold, base metals, small-scale, other	AMD, antimony, arsenic, copernicium, iron, mercury, pH, TDS, TSS, tin
Shingwedzi	Gold, small-scale	Arsenic, mercury, TDS, TSS

Source: Ashton et al. 2001

¹ Sub-catchment in Ashton et al. 2001	Sub-catchment noted herein
Shashe-Tuli	Shashe<
Pazhi, Umzingwani	Mzingwane
Diti	Shashe
Limpopo and Chagane	Limpopo, Chagane
Crocodile-Elands-Pienaarsrivier	Crocodile
Laphalala	Lephalala
Theuniskloof	Lotsane
Setoka-Soutsloot	Shashe, Mzingwani
Levuvhu	Luvuvhu
Wilge	Middle Olifants
Riet & Little Olifants	Upper Olifants
Blyde	Lower Olifants
Selati	Lower Olifants
Middle Letaba and Great Letaba	Letaba