The National Union of Mineworkers has accused the government of failing to put an end to illegal mining. The union was reacting to a continuing stand-off between the police andHundreds of zama-zamas are reportedly refusing to come to the surface from a number of shafts at the old Buffelsfontein gold mine, despite some reportedly dying due to lack of food and water.
Num National Spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu has accused the government of complicity in illegal mining. “The government is now acting, when illegal mining has been happening for years. I’ll give you an example now of something that is happening in Burgersfort. We’ve got Chinese illegal gangs that are mining chrome illegally in South Africa, and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the law enforcement agencies are aware of Chinese gangs that are looting and stealing chrome in Burgersfort, and transporting it through the Mozambican border.
He has called on the law enforcement to deal with the illegal mining that is happening elsewhere and not just in Stilfontein. “We must not look at the situation that is happening only at Stilfontein. Law enforcement agencies must also deal with Chinese gangs that are stealing and looting chrome in Burgersfort as we speak right now,” says Mammburu.