WATCH: Ward councillor condemns illegal mining in Payneville
The ward councillor says provincial and national government have been alerted as people dig for alleged gold deposits at a Gugulethu kraal.
Crowds of people have been flocking to a cattle kraal in the Gugulethu section of Payneville in search of gold.
The digging started on February 10 and has continued daily, with a large number of people arriving with spades and buckets in the hope of uncovering gold to sell for cash.
When the Springs Advertiser visited the site on Saturday, people were seen sifting through piles of soil.
Lesetja Thulhle said the large-scale search started after a local man, who was cleaning the area, allegedly discovered traces of gold.
“He posted it on Facebook. The cattle were moved from here to another kraal, and that is when the digging began,” said Thulhle.
@springsadvertiser Residents in Payneville have been digging for gold since February 10 after another residents claimed to have found it. #illegalmining #payneville #goldrush #ekurhuleni #mining
He added that while no gold has yet been found, they have been collecting soil from the site in the hope of uncovering deposits.
“We take the soil and wash it to remove the dirt. The remaining material is poured onto towels we’ve laid out and rinsed again. After that, we transfer it to a metal plate, and that’s where we hope to find the gold deposits,” he said.
Ward councillor Dean Stone told the Advertiser that mining activity has previously been reported in the area, but not at this scale.
“We are aware of this issue, we have reported it to the ward committee, as well as the national government, who will be stepping in. The provincial government has visited the areas, and they are strategising a plan to deal with this matter,” he said.
@springsadvertiser Payneville residents explain the process they use to try and get gold from the soil they have dug. #payneville #mining #ekurhuleni #goldrush
He emphasised that the mining activity is not only dangerous but also damaging to infrastructure.
“It is illegal. It is also not an area where people should be living, especially children. We need to abide by the rule of law,” Stone said.
He alleged that there may be individuals orchestrating the activity for profit.
“We need to establish who the kingpins behind this are and who is making money from it,” he said.
Springs police spokesperson Sergeant Charity Zwane confirmed that police are aware of the digging and are monitoring the situation.
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