Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
2 December 2024 | 13:30 CAT
3 min read

The spotlight is on Stilfontein in the North West, where thousands of illegal miners, known as zama zamas, remain trapped underground without food or water. Among those who have surfaced are teenagers and even a 10-year-old boy. As officials prepare to begin rescue efforts this week, questions arise about the harsh realities of life underground for zama zamas.

David van Wyk, a researcher at the Benchmark Foundation, told Radio Islam that South Africa has approximately 6,000 abandoned mines, with more being added regularly. He explained that the gold industry is in sharp decline due to the lack of profitability in many mines. While South Africa still holds 40% of the world’s gold reserves, the deeper levels are too dangerous for large-scale industrial mining. This has created a vacuum at shallower levels, where small-scale miners, or zama zamas, extract what remains. “The problem is we did not plan for a transition to medium and small scale mining in the country, thus the industry at that level is very chaotic at the moment, run by syndicates and so on,” he said.

According to van Wyk, Mines are supposed to contribute annually to a central closure fund designed to finance the closure of abandoned mines when their owners cannot be located. If the responsible parties are unavailable, the government is expected to use this fund to ensure proper mine closures. “But it is nonsense that the government cannot find the mine owners and hold them accountable. That is where the law is being broken in the first instance by big mining companies walking away from their responsibilities in South Africa now that they have finished taking out the gold,” he said.

There are different kinds of zama zamas, says David van Wyk from the Benchmark Foundation. Some are ghost workers hired by syndicates to sneak into licensed mines, while others risk their lives in abandoned mines.

In the case of Stilfontein, Van Wyk believes a syndicate must be involved, but no one seems to be investigating. Keeping 4,000 miners underground with food, supplies, and everything they need is not a small operation. It takes major coordination on the surface, which is clearly happening here.

He also painted a grim picture of life underground, describing it as very hot, humid and without proper infrastructure and support, it is incredibly dangerous. “You are also breathing in dust containing toxic materials, to stay there for months at a term, it will shorten your life terribly,” he added.

Reports suggest that some zama zamas have been underground for as long as six months to a year, which raises serious concerns and is hugely problematic. “I think people stay there for so long, is because the syndicate is trying to evade the authorities from stopping the operation, if they sent workers down every day and bring them up then the police will able to intervene easier,” he said.

He emphasised that the unregulated activities of zama zamas not only pose significant safety risks but also have a profound impact on Stilfontein’s economy. “This is why the industry needs to be regulated, and the situation brought under control,” said van Wyk.

He warns that by neglecting to focus on repurposing and reengineering mines, we are allowing entire mining areas to turn into ghost towns, becoming hotspots for zama zamas and illegal mining activity.

Van Wyk highlighted that it is alarming that this situation has been unfolding for three weeks without any response from the Department of Natural Resources. While the police have held press briefings, the department responsible has remained silent, raising questions about why they have not addressed the media or presented a plan to tackle the crisis.

“We resort to the police every time there is a crisis in a department. We need to begin to intervene in the challenged facing South Africa in a planned and structured manner otherwise things are going to spiral out of control,” he said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Habib Bobat and David van Wyk, Benchmark Foundation researcher, here.