Illegal miners keep digging despite the danger
Zama zamas in the Burgersdorp area are becoming a common sight, which worries the local council
LIMPOPO – A surge in illegal mining activities in Burgersdorp village near Tzaneen over the past three years has raised alarm.
Scores of unemployed local residents spend their days digging and toiling under the sun in search of gold, which they sell as a source of income, a practice which is illegal in South Africa.
The land where this illegal mining activity is taking place belongs to the Nkuna Traditional Authority and the Chairperson of the Nkuna Royal Council, Ntombi Muhlava, said local indunas have reported the matter to the authority.
“We are aware and worried about the matter. If these mining activities continue unabated, sinkholes may develop and the houses of people who live nearby may collapse. We are in the process of collaborating with the police and the Department of Mineral Resources to ensure this illegal activity is brought to an end,” she said.
When CV visited the area, there were about 50 people scattered in an open field the size of a soccer field with houses around the area.
The illegal miners were covered in mud and dust, using picks and shovels to dig up rocks. These rocks they washed to allow proper inspection to determine if there was any gold inside. These miners refused to be photographed or to give their real names for fear of being arrested.
“My life has changed for the better because before I was unemployed and struggled to get by. Now I can afford to look after my family,” said one miner, who claimed he makes up to R5 000 in a good week.
Another miner said he knew what he was doing was illegal and could land him in trouble with the authorities. However, he believes they should be afforded the opportunity to keep mining with no interference as they were only trying to make a living.
“There are no jobs, so we are just trying to make a living. It is better than robbing banks or going to town to steal,” he said.
It is estimated that the South African economy loses about R5 billion per year due to illegal mining and increasing jail sentences from two months to eight doesn’t seem to have stopped many poor people from resorting to this illegal activity to make ends meet.
Mineral Resources Minister, Mosebenzi Zwane, said one of the biggest challenges to stop the illegal mining activities in the country is to find the syndicates behind the operations, as well as the markets they’re supplying.
“We need to deal with the markets these illegal miners cater to, including the kingpins behind the mines,” he said.
Estimates indicate there are more than 6 000 abandoned or ownerless mine shafts across the country and the Department of Mineral Resources has contracted the Council for Geoscience to close them, a project expected to continue until the end of 2018.
