Uranium pollution of South African streams - An
Uranium mining in South Africa - an overview The auriferous ore bodies ('reefs') of the Witwatersrand basin, which have been mined for their gold since 1886, also contain elevated uranium levels1 commonly ranging from 100 to 300 ppm, which are comparable to ores mined elsewhere in the world for uranium (Cole, 1998; D. Wymer, unpublished).