PARLIAMENTARY BRIEFING
How the fight against illegal mining threatens to explode
Problems in mining towns must be tackled urgently to avert a showdown with zama zamas, MPs warned
Unless problems bedevilling mining towns are tackled urgently, efforts to eradicate illegal mining operations and syndicates will soon be in crisis point, MPs have been told. This warning came from officials of the Department of Mineral Resources and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation at a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on police and mineral resources last week. MPs were briefed on action being taken against illegal mining operations at surface mine sites and abandoned mining operations. Illegal mining has left communities at the mercy of gangs, while the illegal miners remain vulnerable to deadly and unregulated mining activities at derelict shafts. The economy is estimated to be losing about R20bn a year because of illegal mining. Illegal mining has hit towns in Gauteng, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and most recently, Limpopo. Subsectors affected include gold, platinum and chrome, with the illicit market estimated to be selling gold at up to R...
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