Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
24 December 2025

Entrance to the old unused shaft where illegal mining takes place – Stilfontein North West.

Illegal mining operations flourishing in and around communities in the North West province have drawn sharp condemnation from the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), which warns that the crisis poses a direct threat to the safety, dignity and long-term livelihoods of working-class communities.

Speaking on Radio Islam International, SAFTU spokesperson Newton Masuku described the situation as an unfolding social and environmental disaster, accusing the state of failing to protect vulnerable communities from unlawful and dangerous mining activities.

“These activities expose communities to intolerable levels of noise, pollution and environmental degradation,” Masuku said. “They subject communities to severe levels of danger, and this cannot continue.”

According to SAFTU, illegal miners frequently conduct blasting operations close to residential areas, causing structural damage to homes and destroying generational household wealth. Masuku warned that land, livelihoods and even children’s lives are being placed at risk.

“They blast near households and this destroys homes,” he said. “They destroy livelihoods and endanger communities and their children. For as long as this industry is not brought under the control of the state, communities will remain in danger.”

The union has strongly criticised the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) for what it describes as a persistent failure to curb illegal mining, despite repeated warnings and past crises, including the Stilfontein incident late last year.

Masuku said the lack of enforcement has allowed criminal syndicates to entrench themselves. “For as long as this industry is not regulated, it opens itself up to syndicates and all manner of criminality, including the terrorisation of communities,” he added.

SAFTU has also raised concerns about possible collusion, suggesting that continued inaction points to deeper systemic problems. “The state seems to be dragging its feet,” Masuku said. “It indicates that some higher-ups may be benefiting from these practices, and we take serious issue with that.”

The weakening of community civic structures has further compounded the crisis, leaving residents exposed. Masuku noted that once-strong civic formations have been eroded by political and economic interests, limiting their ability to defend communities against criminal operations.

At the centre of SAFTU’s demands is the nationalisation and socialisation of South Africa’s mineral wealth. Masuku argued that minerals belong to the people and should not be controlled by private conglomerates, criminal syndicates or politically connected elites.

“Nationalisation, coupled with beneficiation and local processing, can create jobs, grow the manufacturing sector and resolve this crisis once and for all,” he said.

SAFTU warns that without decisive state intervention, illegal mining will continue to tear at the fabric of communities not only in the North West, but across the country.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Annisa Essack and Newton Masuku.