Photos and video on social media circulated of people holding up tiny clear and white stones, which as of yet have not been officially determined to be diamonds.
A South African town has been flooded with people since the weekend after stones turned up in the area believed to be diamonds, according to reports.
South Africa has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which included its own variant of the novel virus. Subsequently the economy has taken a serious dive, according to Bloomberg Africa. As that country’s economy is struggling to come back, the word of diamonds has folks scrambling for fortune and glory.
More than 1,000 people went to the village of KwaHlathi in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province in search of what they believed to be diamonds, the New York Post reported.
A discovery of unidentified stones in the town has caused interest from across the country, the Post reported.
The local government tweeted for order Sunday after an influx of people to the town mining for the diamonds on their own.
The local government also released a statement saying, “The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has noted with concern, the reports of illegal mining activity taking place at KwaHlathi outside Ladysmith where throngs of people have gathered to mine what they believe are diamonds.
“This activity follows the discovery by some of what they believe to be the precious stones. Images and videos have been circulating on social media where some involved in the illegal mining are seen celebrating in belief that they had struck it rich,” they added.
Photos and video on social media circulated of people holding up tiny clear and white stones.
BBC Africa reported that the stones haven't been analyzed by geological experts.
Authorities have asked people on site to leave so that a proper investigation can be carried out to determine what these stones could be, BBC Africa reported.
The unemployment rate in South Africa, which is the continent’s most-industrialized nation, rose to a record 32.6% in the first quarter of 2021, Bloomberg Africa reported.
South Africa is a country rich in natural resources, including diamonds, and has been one of the world’s leading producers of the stone. Diamond prices have been rising through 2021, Bloomberg Africa said.
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