Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za

3-minute read
26 November 2024 | 14:43 CAT

Standoff: Zama zamas mining at abandoned sites exacerbates environmental harm and causes security issues. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Fourteen additional illegal miners emerged this week from the derelict Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, Northwest Province. This development follows weeks of police operations under Operation Vala Umgodi, which has led to over 1,000 arrests of so-called zama-zamas (illegal miners).

However, many of those arrested have been released, a point highlighted by Giwusa’s Mametlwe Sebei. “Almost all miners taken to the police station were released as of last week,” Sebei explained in an interview with Radio Islam International. He attributed this to the difficulty of legally charging individuals working in abandoned mines.

Sebei argued that these miners are victims of systemic neglect, scavenging for gold discarded by profit-driven corporations. He elaborated: “When a mine is derelict and ownerless, it’s not legally viable to charge someone with trespassing. These miners are driven underground by poverty, starvation, and the need to survive.” He emphasized the dire conditions of communities surrounding the 6,100 abandoned mines across South Africa, describing them as plagued by “poverty, squalor, degradation, and hunger.”

The conversation also touched on a recent ruling by the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, which dismissed an urgent application by the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution. The application challenged government inaction, claiming that affected families were deprived of food and support.

Sebei criticized the court case, noting its disconnect from community realities. “At the time of the court’s second hearing, the government had already started providing food, water, and medication due to community protests and public pressure,” he said. The court dismissed the application based on factual inaccuracies, not on addressing miners’ plight.

Sebei expressed concern over police misinterpreting the court’s decision as a reason to halt rescue efforts for trapped miners. He warned that delays and inaction could result in preventable deaths.

The mining crisis highlights the urgent need for sustainable solutions to address abandoned mines and the socio-economic conditions forcing individuals into this hazardous work.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Mufti Yusuf Moosagie and Mametlwe Sebei here.