South Africa is known around the world for its riches in gold, however, it has been said that up to 30 per cent of the gold is stolen before it can even bring in profit for the mining houses.
Illegal miners, known as ‘Zama Zamas’, a word which when translated, means ‘take a chance’ are the main causes of profit loss and there are many roaming the underground tunnels of Riverlea.
Westside Urban managed to speak to a small group of Zama Zamas at the George Harrison Park in Langlaagte who said that their biggest argument was that most of them were working and about 10 000 of them underground and many are foreigners.
They explained that they were only doing it to provide for their families so they go underground with oxygen masks and spend at least a month underground.
The problem arises when they exit the tunnels because they often get robbed by others waiting on the outside for them. This has resulted in them taking shifts; a group would go down and the other half would remain top side and act as security guards.
This, however, does not work with one of their biggest threats, the group explained that a police officer who was well known by them comes into the enclosure with his big rifle and relieves them of their bags.
They added that he threatened them with his weapon, collected the bags and drove off. Because he is an officer of the law they cannot do anything since they mine illegally. They also mentioned that he never arrested them and that he never takes those bags to the police station but instead, sells it to the syndicates in the city.
They said that the mining companies also hire tough securities who are ordered to kill if they have to. They claim that they too rob them and many of their ‘brothers’ have been killed by these guards.
Although robbery is a scary and upsetting experience for them, their biggest fear is getting trapped underground. One recalled last year when the tunnel was closed by Central Rand Gold (CRG), he said that they spent three days digging non-stop to get their colleagues out.
They also said that they found it funny how the companies fail to close tunnels that are life-threatening to children and residents in the area but they come straight to the one where there’s always activity.
Chris Molebatsi, the assistant researcher for the Bench Marks Foundation said, “The point is, with the illegal miners it is the country which is actually losing because these people go underground and they sell it to the syndicates.
“These syndicates know how to take the minerals out of the country illegally before even having to pay tax. It would be better if they could maybe legalise and regulate this type of mining, then at least they will be able to save some of these minerals.”
The group continues to ‘take a chance’ in order to provide for their loved ones.
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