There exists a dark side to South Africa’s thriving mining industry – a multi billion-rand illegal mining industry. Disused mines in Johannesburg came under the spotlight after a gang rape incident in Krugersdorp, west of the city Photo ArchDaily
It is believed that eight women were gang raped while shooting a music video at a disused mine in West Village last week. More than 80 people have since been arrested. The suspects made their first appearance at the Krugersdorp Magistrate Court on Monday.
The incident has led to increased scrutiny on South Africa’s illegal mining industry. Experts claim that thousands, largely foreigners, are employed in abandoned mines.
“According to the human rights commission, who did an audit about three to four years ago, we’ve got 34 000 small scale artisanal miners in the Johannesburg, Gauteng, area alone,” said David Van Wyk. He is a mining expert and researcher at the Bench Marks Foundation.
The illegal mining is much larger than just Gauteng. It stretches into the free state and other parts as well – David Van Wyk, Bench Marks Foundation
“In the Gauteng area alone, there would be about 300 000 people – on a dependency ratio of one to eight – that are dependent on the incomes that these people are making and that’s excluding the people who are exploiting them.”
SMread: Step-aside policy stressed on while others are left to the side
Exploitation
The thriving illegal mining industry, estimated to be worth about R7 billion, lives on exploitation, according to Van Wyk. He explained that there are also “ghost workers” who are recruited by subcontractors to work in operational mines in the West Rand, Gauteng.
“There are some registered mines that are operational on the far West Rand where there are also ghost workers that go underground every day. These people are recruited by subcontractors and labour brokers and so on in places like the Eastern Cape [and] Mozambique,” he said.
As Van Wyk elaborated, these recruits are tricked into coming to Gauteng under the pretence that they will work in a formal mine, “only to discover that they are actually working illegally, parallel to the formal workers”.
What makes the illegal mining industry profitable is that recruiters are able to get away paying half the wage of a formal worker. Furthermore, an estimated 6 000 abandoned mines across the country make illegal mining a viable, albeit hazardous, venture.
