In the depths of South Africa’s former mining heartland, a man’s life hung in the balance as he was hoisted from more than a mile below the earth’s surface. Trapped for weeks in the abandoned Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, the Mozambican miner had endured the brutal grip of gang leaders who had held him captive and left him starving. As he clung to a makeshift pulley, a team of men above ground strained under the blistering sun to lift him to safety.
The man, whose identity was not revealed as he collapsed on the ground, is the latest survivor of a long-running standoff that has underscored the deepening crisis in South Africa’s mining industry. For weeks, law enforcement has battled violent criminal syndicates that control illegal mining operations, known locally as zama zamas, in a desperate struggle that pits the police against the organized gangs profiting from the nation’s abandoned mines.
A Growing Criminal Network
The confrontation highlights the scale of criminal infiltration into the mining sector, a cornerstone of Africa’s most industrialized economy. South Africa, once the world’s largest gold producer, has seen a decline in its mining industry due to outdated infrastructure and unclear policy decisions. With as many as 6,000 dormant mines across the country, many abandoned by commercial operators, the rise in gold prices has fueled violent turf wars among gangs competing to smuggle the precious metal.
The government, under President Cyril Ramaphosa, has launched a crackdown on illegal mining as part of a broader plan to revive the sector, which still contributes 6.2 percent of the national GDP. While the country has made strides in addressing power shortages, hopes for reforming the mining industry face significant challenges. South Africa’s high unemployment rate, which affects nearly one in three citizens, has left many vulnerable to exploitation by criminal organizations.
One security consultant, who works with multinational mining firms, warned that the situation is set to worsen. “It’s become a type of insurgency, and the government hasn’t dealt with it for 20 years,” he said.
Zama Zamas: A Desperate Workforce
The zama zamas—whose name means “take a chance” in isiZulu—are mainly migrants from neighboring countries such as Lesotho, Zambia, and Mozambique. Historically, these nations provided a labor force for South Africa’s mining industry, but under apartheid, many workers were subjected to grueling and dangerous conditions. Today, gang leaders continue to exploit these desperate men, coercing them into working in abandoned mines where they can be trapped for weeks or months at a time before being allowed to resurface.
It is estimated that around 25 tonnes of gold are smuggled out of South Africa each year, with major destinations including the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland, according to the World Gold Council.
Government and Corporate Responses
In response to the growing crisis, South African authorities have launched Operation Vala Umgodi (translated as “Close the Pits”), aimed at eliminating the illegal gold trade that costs the economy up to $1 billion annually. However, the situation in Stilfontein, located 160 kilometers west of Johannesburg, illustrates the challenges ahead.
Since last month, police have set up blockades around Buffelsfontein, a former gold and uranium mine long known as a hub for illegal mining. Officers, heavily armed, have surrounded all known exit shafts and cut off the ropes that deliver food and water to miners below. The goal is to force gang leaders to allow the miners to surface, a strategy referred to by some as “smoking them out.”
Over 850 miners have been rescued from Buffelsfontein, part of a total of more than 12,000 wildcat miners rescued across the country. Those who did not require hospitalization have been arrested, and hundreds are set to face charges.
Private mining companies, such as Sibanye-Stillwater, which operates in the region, have also committed to combatting illegal mining. The company warned that illegal shafts sometimes link to active commercial mines, complicating efforts to secure the industry.
“The operating environment in the Southern African region remains challenging from a security and crime perspective,” the company said in a statement earlier this year.
Controversy and Civil Rights Concerns
Despite the government’s efforts, the controversial “surrender or starve” tactics have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. Civil society groups have reignited debates over unemployment, xenophobia, and the treatment of foreign workers in South Africa. They have also called for emergency supplies to be delivered to the miners trapped underground, with at least four civil society organizations setting up camp alongside police trucks near the shafts.
The standoff at Buffelsfontein is just one example of the tensions that threaten to escalate as criminal syndicates continue to capitalize on the country’s economic struggles. As the battle over South Africa’s mining future intensifies, experts predict that the situation will only grow more dangerous in the months to come.
Related topics：
- Key Market Ratios and Momentum Trends for Gold
- Gold and Silver Prices in India: December 24, 2024 Update
