By Rachel Mohamed
The police have raised serious concerns about the state of mining in South Africa. More than 400 illegal miners at the Sheba Gold Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga, are expected to appear in court today. This follows their arrest during a police-led raid known as Operation Val’ Umgodi, aimed at combating illegal mining activities.
Speaking on Voc News, David van Wyk, Lead Researcher at the Bench-Marks Foundation, explained that various forms of illegal mining are taking place. One type is referred to as ghost mining, where a second group of workers enters a legal mining operation but is not actually employed by the mine; instead, they work for someone else.
“In the Barberton case over the weekend, there were allegations of more than 1,000 people being underground at a mine that is operational and functional. In other words, a ghost operation was happening simultaneously with the legal operation,” Van Wyk stated.
He added, “I think that’s highly problematic and needs to be investigated because it raises questions about how so many people can gain access to a formal mine. This suggests that the entry points to the mine are not secure, and there may be corruption among the mining employees.”
Listen to the full interview:
VOC News
Photo: Pixabay
