Illegal mining has placed Benoni in deep trouble. [Image via Mining Review]
Residents of Benoni on the East Rand, Gauteng, say the area is in deep trouble. Illegal mining activity has harmed their health, damaged the environment and caused property prices to plummet, they say.
Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia on Friday, Inaish Chetty representing the New Modder community, said illegal miners stalk residents day and night. “You see them walking late at night; early morning. We’ve had burglaries in our community.”
The story of Benoni, a town located 26 km east of Johannesburg, began with gold, when it was established as a mining camp in 1887. Now, illegal miners scrape the dusty mines for the scraps that remain – a curse to the community.
“We also had huge issues in terms of our water and our sanitation. It’s not directly linked, but linked because these miners are now in the community,” he added.
He said beyond basic services being hampered, peoples’ homes were losing value as cracks began to surface on their plots.
“There’s so many houses for sale. These homes have been done up beautifully, some people want to buy bigger homes. It’s devalued the property value in the area and people are getting nervous about what to do next.”
Another resident, Kgosimotse Andrew Boikanyo, agrees that illegal mining has put the community in deep trouble. Together with the environment decaying, peoples’ health is also compromised.
“We’ve got medical reports that have proved that due to this illegal mining, people are sitting with lung problems. Some of them have had to move out of the area because of the consequences of these zama zamas and illegal minings. The environment is unsafe due to these blastings,” he said.
According to Chetty, the apparent failure of authorities to rein in illegal miners “fosters a sense of abandonment and scepticism towards local governance” among community members. Clearly disillusioned, they are now considering legal action.
