ROB ROSE: ‘Army must protect mines’
A businessman in the North West, under siege from people he believes are trying to hijack his mine, tells the president to send in the military
07 October 2021 - 05:00
The owner of the Floxifor gold mine in the North West, Joel Mafenya, says the fact that his mine was set ablaze by thugs last week should be "an embarrassment for the whole country". Mafenya, who describes himself as SA’s "only independent black gold mine owner", is the latest victim of a scourge that has been running rampant: ruthless and well-armed mining mafia outfits, seeking to hijack mining assets.
To describe them simply as "zama zamas" — essentially, small illegal miners — would be to understate the problem...
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