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Thousands rush to dig for diamonds in South Africa

KwaHlathi: A South African village has been overrun by people digging for what they believe to be diamonds after unidentified stones were found in the area, since Saturday when a local man discovered the first stone.

Thousands have flocked to the outskirts of KwaHlathi village, more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of Johannesburg to get the stone. People of all ages are seen digging the soil with picks and shovels.

‘The discovery was a life changer’, said one named Mendo Sabelo, as he held a handful of tiny stones. ‘They are real,’ beamed Magudulela, in her 40s, struggling to feed her three children. ‘We are poor, we are unemployed. But this could change everything,’ said another one.

The government on Tuesday sent a team of geological and mining experts to the area, now pockmarked with holes, to collect samples for analysis. A formal technical report will be issued in due course, the mines department said.

South Africa’s economy has long suffered from extremely high levels of unemployment, trapping millions in poverty and contributing to stark inequalities that persist nearly three decades after the end of apartheid in 1994. The coronavirus pandemic has made it worse.

Some people have started selling the stones, with the starting price ranging from 100 rands ($7.29) to 300 rands.

The Authorities have since requested all those involved to leave the site to allow experts to conduct a proper inspection, amid fears the people digging at the site could potentially be spreading the coronavirus. Police cars are monitoring the area to keep the crowds in check.

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