The Mintails acid mine drainage water treatment plant, 26 March 2014, in the West Rand, during a media tour of the efforts made by Mintails Mining, to correct environmentally affected areas and their ecosystems damaged by South African Mining industries. Picture: Alaister Russell
Chaos erupted at the Mintails mine, situated between Krugersdorp and Randfontein over the weekend as illegal miners proceeded to strip the place bare, reports Krugersdorp News.
After the mine closed down a few months ago, a security company was tasked with keeping unwanted intruders out. They withdrew from the premises last week, citing financial issues.
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This has in turn given zama zamas, or illegal miners, an opportunity to come in and clean the mine out.
During the weekend, the illegal miners started stripping the mine. On one of the videos in Krugersdorp News’ possession, a man said that they have been stealing the cables to get the copper. In another video, people can be seen cutting steel, and warning shots can be heard as a person drives past the mine.
The road that leads past the mine is apparently open, and no police presence can be seen. Motorists are urged to avoid the area as shots are being fired throughout the day and the area is not safe.
IOL reported earlier in June that another problem aside from the looting and impending danger has emerged – the decanting of the millions of litres of acid mine drainage (AMD), which is usually pumped each day. This is reportedly causing an increase in water levels, which threaten to decant in a few months’ time, according to Federation for a Sustainable Environment CEO Mariette Liefferink.
This poses a potentially disastrous problem for areas downstream, where people rely on the water for drinking.
Spokesperson for the department of human settlements, water and sanitation Sputnik Ratau, however, assured that there was no immediate risk of an AMD decant.
Krugersdorp News has contacted various local police stations for comment and will follow up as more information is made available.
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