(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) A gruesome situation in a South African gold mine underscores the problem of illegal mining.
Miners trapped by government officials in the abandoned Buffelsfontein Gold Mine allegedly turned to cannibalism to survive.
Last August, South African authorities initiated a crackdown on the illegal mining operation. Hoping to force the miners to the surface, police cut off food and water, and blocked key exit shafts, leaving only the main entrance accessible. This effectively left the miners with two options – leave the mine and face criminal charges or stay put and risk their lives.
Government officials insist the miners could have come to the surface at any time, but refused to do so because they knew they faced prosecution. More than 1,300 people left the mine over the five-month standoff and faced their day in court, but 300 people remained in the mine.
As time wore on, the miners became increasingly weak and some were reportedly legitimately trapped.
South Africa mining minister Gwede Mantashehe said the blood is on the miners’ heads.
“If you go to a dangerous place such as a neglected mine and stay there for about three months, starving yourself to death, how does that become the responsibility of the state?”
Public pressure and a legal challenge led to a court-ordered rescue operation in January. Officials say 246 miners survived the ordeal, but 78 people died.
Survivors interviewed by the Telegraph said some of their fellow miners “resorted to cannibalism.”
“They cut parts of legs, arms, and ribs for sustenance. They decided it was their only remaining option for survival.”
The miners interviewed by the Telegraph insisted they didn’t resort to eating their deceased companions, but they did eat cockroaches to survive.
Cracking down on illegal mining operations is publicly popular, but not everyone sympathizes with the government. South Africa’s second-largest trade union federation called the incident “one of the most horrific displays of state wilful negligence in recent history.”
Illegal Mining
As the Telegraph put it, illegal miners make a “risky living by trespassing in disused gold mines to eke out what is left of the deposits.”
Illegal mining is a growing problem around the world. It often occurs in environmentally sensitive areas, and officials say it causes severe environmental, social, and economic damage.
It also deprives governments of valuable tax revenues.
South African officials claim illegal mining costs the country around £3 billion in lost receipts.
According to South African officials, highly organized, “ruthless” criminal gangs run illegal mining operations. According to the Telegraph, the reason South African officials opted to “smoke the miners out” of the Buffelsfontein mine was it was “too dangerous to enter the warren of old workings to confront armed criminal gangs.”
Even without the risk of prosecution, illegal mining is a dangerous enterprise. IIlegal mines often operate in remote areas and there is no “workplace safety.”
Illegal miners in South Africa are called “zama zamas”, translating roughly to “those who take a chance” or “those who try their luck. They come from a long line of men and women who have risked everything in pursuit of gold and silver.
It just goes to show the value of these precious metals.
The United States has a long history of gold rushes where people risked life, limb, and money. It makes sense when you think about it.
What kind of risk would you take if you had the possibility of digging money out of the ground?
Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for MoneyMetals.com with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.
