Mining in focus
Measures to deal with illegal
mining
Establishing a precious metals fingerprinting database
at SAPS forensic laboratories
•Formal agreement between the Minerals Council, mining
companies, and the SAPS.
•In terms of the Precious Metals Act, samples must be
submitted every six months, or when requested.
•Determine origin of gold/platinum.
•Highlight problem areas/trends.
Creation of a special investigative task force
•Includes mining companies and SAPS.
•Investigates syndicate activity at national and international
level.
•Works with international agencies (such as UNICRI,
European police and Interpol) and international refineries.
•Joint operations are still conducted on an ad hoc basis
and when necessary between mine security and the SAPS
National Task Team.
Source: MineralsCouncil South Africa
mining syndicate will often linger around
mining communities. Lutchman mentioned
that illegal mining also encouraged an influx
of undocumented immigrants into the country,
subsequently infiltrating mining communities.
Crime also increases in illegal mining
hotspots. There have been reports of turf wars
where rival illegal mining gangs kill each other
over mining territory. Earlier this year, seven
bodies, believed to be that of illegal miners,
were found dumped in an open veld on the
east rand in Ekurhuleni. The bodies were close
to disused mine shafts in the Benoni area —
an area where illegal mining activities often
take place.
Health and safety compromises also have an
impact not only on illegal miners, but formal
mine employees working in the mines. “Illegal
miners openly flout personal health and safety
to open cement-plugged shafts with explosives
on abandoned mines or live underground
for extended periods of time, without the
necessary protective gear, once they have
gained access to operating mines. The zama
zamas then pose severe risks to legitimate
mine employees, safety protocols, shaft
infrastructure and stability, equipment, and
ultimately, the business,” notes the Minerals
Council South Africa.
The way in which illegal mining activities
take place is detrimental to the environment.
In his study, Mkhize mentions that
illegal mining has serious environmental
consequences because of the extraction
methods used; however, researchers have
not been able to quantify the extent of such
environmental consequences. One of these
[22] MINING MIRROR OCTOBER 2018
A makeshift sleeping area underground where illegal
miners spend up to a year without coming to surface.
methods involves the use of
mercury to separate the gold
from the rocks. The way in which
illegal miners used the mercury
is harmful to the environment.
In addition, Lutchman noted
the fact that illegal miners used
improvised explosives during
their activities. The use of such
explosives had a negative impact
on the environment.
What is being done about
illegal mining?
Another environmental impact
illegal mining had, was in the
way in which water was used
and wasted. According to the
Minerals Council, there was a
severe drought in 2016; however,
this was disregarded by illegal
miners when they used water
excessively to process the
gold-bearing material.
The rise of illegal mining reflects
that an urgent and effective
solution is needed to solve
this ever-increasing problem.
Different mining companies
have put measures in place to
try and get illegal mining under
control. Lutchman mentioned
that Sibanye-Stillwater increased
security by installing access control
systems and close-circuit television
systems with thermal capabilities.
In some mine operations, stop and
search procedures were intensified.
The Minerals Council recognises
the need to focus on the supply
and demand of illegal mining if
the industry is to stand a chance in