At least 1 000 abandoned mines provide opportunity for North West illegal miners

The North West has at least 1 000 derelict or ownerless mines dotting the province’s landscape.

Illegal miners in Stillfontein are still trickling out of their site near Klerksdorp, but every small town has an old mine within earshot.

South Africa’s rich mining history has left many such holes in the ground that present outlets of opportunity for disenfranchised men.

One for every 100 square kilometres

The density of the North West’s abandoned mines was revealed by the Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources in a written response to a parliamentary question answered on 28 November.

The ministry stated that their database shows 1 041 abandoned mines in the province.

The province still has rich platinum deposits, as well as chromite, coal, uranium, gold and diamonds.

“These are legacy mines abandoned by previous mining right holders prior to the enactment of Minerals Act of 1991 and Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002, where rehabilitation was not a requirement,” stated the ministry.

‘No profit’ in abandoned mines

The mineral and petroleum resources department stated a commitment to rehabilitate three asbestos mines and close at least 40 unsafe mine shafts or access points.

“The number of mines to be rehabilitated is determined by the funding from the National Treasury, which is currently not adequate,” stated the ministry.

In 2022, Human Rights Watch stated that South Africa had roughly 6 000 abandoned mines, with 2 300 listed as high risk.

“There is no profit in making a decommissioned mine safe and lots of companies simply abandon them and move on,” explained lawyer and activist Vuyisile Ncube.

“The government is doing very little to enforce the laws around decommissioning, so companies have little pressure to change their ways,” the non-governmental organisation quoted Ncube as saying.

Sabie mine zama zamas

Meanwhile, authorities in Mpumalanga are working to retrieve illegal miners trapped in a mine near Sabie.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli confirmed that emergency medical services assess rescued miners before they are placed in police custody.