Cora Bailey, who has operated an animal welfare charity in Roodepoort since 1991, reports a sharp increase in illegal mining activity as global gold prices have soared. In late September, dozens of 'zama zamas,' a Zulu term for those taking a chance, began digging near her organization, Claw. The influx was so severe that the miners depleted the charity's water tanks, which are irregularly filled by the city government to care for over 100 rescued animals. Bailey noted that while she had previously allowed them drinking water, she was forced to close the gates in mid-October after only two buckets remained. Local police admitted the scale of the operation was too large to manage effectively, though they later cleared vegetation to expose the miners, who subsequently returned in smaller numbers.
Despite regular claims by South African police regarding successful crackdowns, such as the arrest of 71 suspects in a single week in October, researchers estimate there are tens of thousands of illegal miners. Marcena Hunter of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime estimated in 2019 that approximately 10% of South Africa's gold production, valued at $1 billion, was being exported illegally. Police operations have occasionally resulted in tragedy; in 2025, 93 bodies were recovered from a mine shaft in Stilfontein after officers blocked supplies to the underground workers. The drivers of this scourge include poverty, unemployment, corruption among politicians and police, and the failure of mining companies to seal abandoned shafts.
Johannesburg's history is deeply rooted in gold, which was discovered in 1884 and made the city a global leader in production until 2007. While the city government claims 40,000 tonnes of gold remain underground, recovery costs have risen as deposits lie deeper. In 2025, Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe stated there were over 6,100 derelict mines and more than 1,100 unsafe openings. Experts agree that most zama zamas are migrants from neighboring countries like Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, filling the voids left by closed operations.
Political figures have increasingly blamed illegal miners for environmental damage ahead of local elections in November. Council member Kenny Kunene toured collapsed sections of Wemmer Pan Road, attributing the sinkholes to zama zamas. However, Rosalind Morris, an anthropology professor at Columbia University, argues this is a fallacy. She explains that the porous dolomitic rock becomes unstable primarily due to formal industrial mining, which removes hundreds of millions of gallons of water daily. While illegal mining does contribute to structural collapse in areas with residual gold, it is not the sole or primary cause of the phenomenon.
Violence in mining areas is also frequently misattributed. Following a mass shooting in Wedela township in September, David van Wyk of the Bench Marks Foundation clarified that the actual miners are exploited laborers who do not carry weapons. Instead, feuding gangs control access to the shafts and reap the profits. In townships like Khutsong, illegal mining provides essential economic support. Vusi Cele, a local activist, noted that without the rents paid by these miners, the area would become a ghost town, highlighting the stark contrast between the meager earnings available on the surface and the potential wealth underground.
Sources: The Guardian World.