On Friday, 25 August, a group of Toekomsrus residents who are up in arms because of the illegal mining that is taking place right under their noses got together, and invited the Herald to come along and witness what is happening.
First we visited the home of Veronica Hannan, who has lived in Toekies for 25 years. She showed us the cracks in the walls of different rooms in her house.
“These cracks have been appearing since they started the illegal mining last year December,” she said. “The miners use dynamite and the ongoing noise of them banging on the rocks every day and night is getting too much.”
According to the community, the miners work in shifts. When the Herald and some of the community members approached the illegal miners, they almost immediately started packing up to leave. One of the community members then told them we just wanted to speak to them.
Also Read: WATCH: Illegal mine a concern to public
We asked one miner whether he and his fellow miners knew they are causing damage to houses close to their mining operation. They said they were not aware of this, but did say they use dynamite. They then started showing us what they do every day and how they look for valuable gold. After they have pulled the gold-bearing rocks from under the ground, they start the long, difficult process of extracting the gold. Illegal mining is physically hard work and entails long hours. Dangerous situations and areas surround them everyday.
As soon as the miners left, the Herald took pictures of the many holes that have been dug in the area.
“It’s not just the noise and the banging sounds at night. It is dangerous for our children to play here,” said Hannan. As we left, one elderly resident shouted at three little girls playing close to where the miners were working.
The residents of the area want the miners to leave Toekomsrus, because they do not feel safe and find the noise unbearable.
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