Early operations and ownership Chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos, was first commercially mined at the Havelock Mine in 1939 after detailed prospecting from 1928 to 1929. Mining and processing methods included dry grinding, which, together with the crushing, sorting, grinding and bagging of the ore, generated substantial dust at the mine site and in the surrounding area. From 1939 until the early 1980s, the mine was owned and operated by the British company T&N, which was a major employer and taxpayer in Swaziland (now eSwatini) for several decades. In 1980, following T&N's bankruptcy, ownership was transferred to a consortium between Havelock Asbestos Mines and the Government of Swaziland. Thus, T&N avoided
legal action, compensation claims from miners with
asbestos related diseases, including their families, and the costs associated with cleaning up the mine site.
Production and decline Over its lifetime, the Havelock mine produced approximately 1.8 million t of asbestos, making it one of the largest asbestos mines in the world. By 2000, the mine had ceased all underground production, and tailings re-processing became the only activity until the site was decommissioned in 2001. As part of the decommissioning process, the underground workings were flooded, with water ingress occurring earlier than expected due to unusually heavy rainfall. Much of the mine's infrastructure, including rails and skips, was removed or scrapped prior to the flooding. As of 2024, the mine water in the vertical shaft stands 107 m below shaft collar and is discharging to the south via the dewatering gallery. ==Geology==