The grim reality of illegal gold mining in South Africa came to light this week as dozens of bodies were recovered from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein, where hundreds of miners endured months of starvation and disease after a police crackdown cut off food supplies. At least 87 people have been confirmed dead, and more are feared to have perished in the treacherous underground conditions.

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The miners, many of whom entered the mine as early as July, were trapped underground without proper sustenance after police operations sought to “smoke them out” in an attempt to halt illegal mining activities. Authorities had been targeting the site as part of a broader effort to curb the country’s illicit mining trade, which has cost the South African economy over $3 billion in recent years.

One miner, who spent five months underground before emerging on Christmas Day, described harrowing conditions, with men lying in cramped caves, many too weak to stand, while others succumbed to hunger and disease. “By September, things were really bad. People started getting hungry, they started getting sick, some started dying. We started having dead bodies,” the miner told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The illegal miners, often referred to as “zama-zamas,” are drawn to abandoned mines by the promise of quick earnings, despite the significant risks. In Stilfontein, miners were reportedly told they could earn around $5,300 for a few weeks of work, a substantial amount in a country grappling with high unemployment and widespread poverty. Many miners come from neighboring countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, where job opportunities are scarce. Tragically, even children are sometimes involved in the dangerous practice, with 13 minors having emerged from the Stilfontein mine last year.

The crackdown on illegal mining, which began in August 2023, led to severe shortages of food and supplies for those trapped underground. With no external communication, many miners turned to smoking cigarettes and marijuana to pass the time. As the weeks went on, food deliveries stopped, and starvation set in. The miner who spoke to the AP recalled surviving on rough salt as a last resort.

South African authorities have faced sharp criticism for their handling of the situation. Activists argue that the government should have acted sooner to prevent the deaths, pointing to the years of neglect surrounding illegal mining and the lack of intervention to address the dire conditions in the mines. However, officials have defended their actions, stating that illegal mining is a criminal enterprise that harms the country’s economy, fosters violent crime, and damages infrastructure in nearby communities.

Minister of Mines Gwede Mantashe stated that those benefiting from the illegal mining activities should bear responsibility for the deaths, while Police Minister Senzo Mchunu emphasized that investigations are underway to trace the entire value chain of illegal mining, including identifying the main beneficiaries of the illicit trade.

The tragedy in Stilfontein highlights the broader issue of illegal mining in South Africa, where thousands of individuals risk their lives in abandoned shafts, driven by the desperation of poverty and the allure of quick profits. As the authorities continue their investigations, the toll of this dangerous practice is a stark reminder of the human cost behind the country’s gold mining industry.

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