The removal of hard rock at ZAC’s new Mngeni Shaft

Kugugulwa amatshe emgodini omusha we-ZAC, uMngeni Shaft

Mngeni ready for production push 

Production at ZAC’s new Mngeni shaft is expected to gain momentum in 2024, with the bulk of the construction work on the shaft finalized in the previous year. The shaft is a strategic development, meant to help ZAC maintain favourable production levels, while creating 120 jobs, majority of which will benefit existing employees at the mine.

According to ZAC General Manager Wiets Buekes the project is progressing according to plan. “Mngeni shaft will be a high seam shaft in context of the ZAC reserves, the intention behind Mngeni was to balance the production shafts to offset the high-cost of low seam operations,” says Buekes. ZAC has invested R137 million in the establishment of the shaft. This includes the preparation of earthworks, the mining of the box cut, erecting major infrastructure and new underground production equipment.

The installation of major infrastructure including the potable water supply, dirty water management drains and pollution control dams, as well as electricity supply has already been completed. By December 2023, the team was approximately 6 meters from reaching coal based on mismeasurements from surveyors. A second shift was also introduced to assist with increasing productivity. Once production is in steady the Mngeni is expected to produce between 120 000 tonnes and 150 000 tonnes of anthracite a year.

UMngeni umi ngomumo ukududula umkhiqizo

Umkhiqizo emgodini omusha uMngeni Shaft kulindeleke ukuthi wande ngo-2024 njengoba umsebenzi omningi wokwakha umgodi uphothulwe ngonyaka odlule. Umgodi uzosiza kakhulu futhi uzolekelela i-ZAC yandise umkhiqizo wayo futhi kusungule imisebenzi engu-120, iningi layo ezohlomulisa abasebenzi basemayini.

Ngokusho kweMenenja-Jikelele yeZAC uWiets Buekes, lo msebenzi uqhubeka ngendlela. “UMngeni Shaft uzosiza ukubhalansisa umkhiqizo we-ZAC,” kusho uWiets. I-ZAC itshale uR137 million ukwakha lo mgodi. Umsebenzi owenziwa ukulungiselela ukwakha nokwakha ingqalasizinda yasemgodini.

Ukufaka ingqalasizinda yamanzi, eyokucwenga amanzi angcolile, ukulawula ukungcola emadamini nokuhlinzeka ugesi kuphothuliwe. NgoDisemba wango-2023, ithimba lase lisalelwe ngamamitha ayisithupha ukufinyelela emalahleni ngokwezikali zonjiniyela. Kwethulwe i-shift yesibili ukulekelela umkhiqizo. Uma umsebenzi usuzinzile, uMngeni kulindeleke ukuthi ukhiqize amathani aphakathi kuka-120 000 no-150 000 wamalahle ngonyaka.