Introduction:

Scattered occurrence of greenstones east of the Geita and Rwamagaza greenstone belts are referred to here as the Mabale - Buhungukira greenstone belt (Fig.25). The rocks appear to connect with the Geita greenstone belt to the west and with the eastern part of the Kahama greenstone belt to the south. Several gold prospects have been identified in the belt. The individual occurrences are Busolwa, Kivugandi, Nyanghoma,Kasubuya (Usambiro), Mabogo, Itambu, Mwamazengo, Luhala Hill, Kivugandi, Nyanghoma, Kasubuya (Usambiro),Mabogo, Itambu, Mwamazengo ,Luhala Hill,Sima Hill and Kitongo. Prominent NNW - striking sequences of BIF underlie these areas. In recent years, exploration companies have carried out various exploration activities that have led to some occurrences being developed into mineable gold resources. Others have been found to be prospective and are yet to be developed. Published geological maps at a scale of 1: 125,000 are available.

Geology.

The area is underlain by Archaean greenstone rocks of the Nyanzian Supergroup. These rocks are dominated by thick sequences of folded, banded and predominantly oxide facies iron formations intercalated with both epiclastic and volcanoclastic sedimentary rocks. However, in some of the areas, laterite covers the underlying geology and thence rocks are sparse and biased to those areas of exposed BIF and associated epiclastic sedimentary rocks. Elsewhere mafic metavolcanic rocks are in contact with granitic terrain.

Mineralisation.

Many small occurrences of gold are known, but the recorded production is small. Most of the prospects consist of little more than a few pits and trenches in which gold has been noted. Gold mineralisation at Kitongo is structurally controlled and occurs in sheared mafic tuffs while at Luhala the mineralisation is associated with quartz veins hosted by strongly altered porphyry bodies.

Kitongo and Isagenghe.

The two prospects are located a few kilometres east of Smith Sound, approximately 55 km south of Mwanza (Fig.25). East African Mines / Spinifex Gold is exploring them. Primary gold mineralisation at Kitongo is structurally controlled along a northwest trending regional corridor. The mineralisation is hosted in a mafic volcanic sequence underlying a series of intermediate of felsic volcanic units and sediments composed of cherts, BIF and phyllites. Gold intercepts occur in strongly sheared mafic volcanic tuff and are associated with intense silica flooding and quartz veining.

The main Zone is notable for high - grade mineralisation and is open along strike and at depth. A new discovery has been made at Isagenghe Hill,located west of the main zone. RC holes intercepted extensively mineralised area in deformed quartz - dolerite, suplhide bearing quartzo - feldspathic rocks and massive sulphides. Released resources by Spinifex Gold in 2001 for Kitongo Main Zone were 10.5 Mt of ore at an average grade of 1.42 g/t gold; including measured (28%), indicated (57%) and inferred (15%) categories. This is equivalent to global resource of 479,000 oz of gold at an average grade of 1.3 g/t gold. The adjacent Isagenghe Hill as an inferred resource of 75,000 oz of gold at an average grade of 14.4 g/t gold.

The total estimated resource at Kitongo stands at 550,000 oz and Gallery Gold from Australia is validating the existing database in view of increasing the resource.

Luhala.

Tan Range Exploration / Newmont Overseas Exploration is exploring the Luhala property. Rotary Air blast (RAB) drilling has outlined several wide zones of mineralisation associated with quartz veins. Strongly altered felsic porphyry bodies host these. Some of the interesting intercepts include: 8m grading 4.50 g/t gold and 25 m grading 2.31 g/t. gold. One of the mineralised zones is 80m wide and is outlined by several contiguous hills. The property has potential for open pit mining.