US EPA

8352110 

Journal Article 

The geology of the Mafikeng area. Explanation of Sheet 2524, scale 1:250 000 

Michaluk, E; Moen, HFG 

1991 

English 

The area borders on Botswana along the Molopo River, and incorporates parts of the Republics of South Africa and Bophuthatswana. The western two thirds of the areas are underlain mainly by granites and quartzolfeldspathic metamorphites of the Kaapvaal Craton basement. The foliated rocks are highly deformed and their mineralogy and migmatitic character indicate that they were metamorphosed to medium grade. Black, felsitic rocks of the Kanye Formation are exposed northeast of Mafikeng. The Ventersdorp Supergroup consists of acid and basic lavas, volcaniclastic sediments and pyroclastics. Southwest of Skilpadhek, a succession of mafic and felsic lavas, tuff, quartzite and shale occur below the Black Reef Formation. The Malmani Subgroup thins dramatically north of the vicinity of Dinokana. Shales of the overlying Timeball Hill Formation have been metamorphosed extensively to andalusite slate and garnet hornfels by the Bushveld Complex. The overlying Dwaalheuwel, Strubenkop, Daspoort, Silverton, Magaliesberg and Rayton Formations represent an alternating succession of quartzitic and pelitic rocks, totalling over 1200m in thickness.The unfoliated, often granophyric Bagorone Granite intrudes the metamorphic basement, but its relationship to other units is uncertain. Calcrete is mined on a large scale for the production of cement. At Gopane, manganese was mined from the Rooihoogte Formation. Gold was recovered from the "Malmani goldfield' at Ottoshoop. -from Authors