A huge illegal gold mining operation has become the economic pillar of the Angelo informal settlement on Gauteng's East Rand, driving an informal economy that employs residents and pumps cash into local businesses.
Less than 2km away from the immaculate ERPM golf club in Boksburg is a secluded hive of production on a grand scale involving multiple “plants” in which people employed by zama zamas sort, grind and extract gold from sand excavated from a nearby abandoned mine shaft.
Illegal miners have been embraced by the community of Angelo, the site of tragedy two weeks ago when 17 people died due to a gas leak. They are respected and loved by many.
“We are an asset to this community. If we were to leave, this place will go down. We pay rent for shacks, we drink in taverns and buy groceries from the shops,” says Tebogo Khotso, a Lesotho national who came to South Africa in 2016.
This week, a group of illegal miners gave the Sunday Times a tour of their 24-hour operation. They spoke candidly about their work, which they say has grown so big that it attracts people from Tembisa, Soweto and Springs to buy excavated soil with gold content.
The dozens of zama zamas in Angelo are among an estimated 30,000 illegal miners working in and around thousands of disused and active mines across South Africa. The burgeoning underground industry has overwhelmed law enforcement and there are growing calls for it to be legalised. It is estimated that illegal mining accounts for about a tenth of the country's annual gold production.
“We are not criminals. All we want is for the South African government to allow us to work properly,” says Ramenkane Dihoehla, 37, who also has been an illegal miner for years.
The tour through the area revealed a rudimentary but efficient production line involving more than 100 illegal miners. They are attached to 12 different operational plants scattered across the settlement, each about 150m² in size.
Each plant has about five to 10 workers and hires about 50 women whose job is to grind the soil as it is brought from under the ground. They are paid between R70 and R80 per 15kg bag. Generators run 24 hours a day to provide electricity to the machines used to process the soil.
The miners spend one to two weeks underground excavating soil that has gold content. This usually nets them five to 10 bags of 15kg each. The soil is taken to one of a dozen plants where it is ground into smaller particles. This section of the production line is called “esigayini” which means grinder.
At the grinding plant miners have to book one-hour slots for R100. After it has been processed, the soil is moved to another plant where gold particles are extracted from the ground soil by a machine called a phenduka, a makeshift processer made from repurposed gas cylinders. Booking a slot is another R100.
People think we are risking our lives but even those who are working for big mining companies take a risk when going underground. It is a risk we are willing to take to put food on the table
— Illegal miner Tebogo Khotso, 30, a Lesotho national who came to South Africa in 2016
It was such a cylinder that led to the deadly gas leak earlier this month
Finally, the gold is taken to “a white man” in Johannesburg. No-one was willing to name him.
“We don’t know the weight of the gold. It is only weighed at the point of sale. That is why we don’t make so much money here,” said one of the miners who did not want to be named.
“From the five to 10 bags, I can make R5,000. But I have to send money back home and pay for all the people involved in production. That is why we don’t live a fancy life. It is hard work.”
The gold mine is one of several operations in the area, with a large illegal coal mining facility a few kilometres away.
Shop owner Thabo Mokoena said the zama zamas do not cause problems for the community.
“We have no issues with them. They are trying to put food on the table for themselves. They don't trouble anyone here. As a person who owns a shop here, they are my biggest customers. They buy groceries and have been supporting me for years,” Mokoena said.
However another resident, Thabiso Sibisi, said while the illegal miners sustained businesses, they were not celebrated by the community.
"We don't like them. The problem is that there nothing that we can do about their presence in our community.
"If they were to leave, we would be happy because we know that underneath those blankets they carry guns, which makes us live in fear. We accept that they sustain a lot of business but we don't like them," Sibisi said.
Khotso, 30, said when he came to South Africa he had piecemeal jobs in the construction sector but they were inconsistent.
“It is the money that makes us go underground. We can take care of our families.
“People think we are risking our lives but even those who are working for big mining companies take a risk when going underground. It is a risk we are willing to take to put food on the table.”
Khotso said they can go for three to four weeks surviving on the food that is sold underground.
Dihoehla said two of his colleagues died in the gas leak.
“We are not the ones who leaked the gas. It was a thief who went to a nearby firm and stole three cylinders and brought them into the shack. He then opened them not knowing what would happen.
“The boy then left. He is not part of us. He is just a thief ... We are grieving, like everybody else. If he comes back, we may kill him or take him to the police. He has caused so much trouble for us and the residents of this area,” he said.
When asked if he would take a job that pays R7,000 a month, Dihoehla said he would reject it.
“Maybe if you gave me at least R30,000 a month we can talk. I am doing this job because it gives me the money that I need,” he said.
We are not criminals. All we want is for the South African government to allow us to work properly
— Ramenkane Dihoehla, 37, illegal miner
Dr Pontsho Twala, researcher and lecturer at Wits School of Mining, said illegal mining is growing “not only in South Africa but globally”.
She said it is common for illegal miners to create new economies in communities where they operate.
“The money that they make they spend within these communities ... It has created economies around it.
“If you produce a gram of gold, you can sell it for R600 to R700. In Witbank, where they mine coal, it is different. A tonne of coal will give you R600. So, the return depends on what you are mining. Some illegal miners are making a lot of money, but mostly they just make enough to put food on the table,” she said.
“My position is that it should be legalised. Research has shown that the income the illegal miners make they spend on their families. By legalising it and creating a framework, that allows one to differentiate between those who are genuinely working in the sector and those involved in criminal acts. The only way to do that is through legislation,” she said.
A 2019 report by ENACT — a project of the Institute for Security Studies, Interpol and the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime — revealed that illegal mining in South Africa is responsible for billions of rand in lost tax revenue, and threatens physical infrastructure and public safety.
The research found that zama zamas mine gold worth more than R14bn a year, one of the biggest sources of illicit gold on the continent. The majority — at least 34 tonnes between 2012 and 2016 — is exported to Dubai, while more enters international markets via neighbouring countries.
The Minerals Council South Africa previously estimated lost sales, taxes and royalties of R21bn a year through illegal mining.
Asked if there were plans to license illegal mining, department of minerals resources & energy (DMRE) spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi said it was a criminal activity which should be separated from artisanal and small-scale mining by people who want to genuinely participate in the sector.
He said the department had gazetted artisanal and small-scale mining policy in 2022.
“Illegal miners who want to mine legitimately should apply for a mining licence or permit from the DMRE. The department offers limited financial support to small-scale miners. Support is given to applicants who hold valid mining permits and applicants requiring financial provision for rehabilitation.
“The main type of support offered by the department is limited to purchasing of mining equipment on a limited scale. Only critically required mining equipment to kick-start the project can be procured,” Buthelezi said.
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