Villagers let illegal chrome miners dig up their yards
Houses at risk of collapsing into large, deep hole
Villagers in the Driekop area, near Burgersfort, in Limpopo are risking their lives and leaving their homes in danger of collapsing, all for illegal chrome mining.
Residents in several villages have sacrificed their yards for illegal excavation of soil in search of chrome to make ends meet. There is a high rate of unemployment in the village.
The area is rich in the mineral and many families earn a living through its illegal mining.
One of the villagers, Velly Maphanga’s home is surrounded by huge holes dug by excavators to draw the mineral resource from the ground.
His house and others are dangerously on the brink of falling off the edge of the hole.
But Maphanga is less concerned about the threat of the collapse of his house than the money he could get from the digging on his doorstep.
“My family relocated to this village of Mooihoek in 1971, unaware that there is a lot of chrome.
“But, after we were made aware of it we have allowed the diggers to extract it from right on our doorstep,” said the 53year-old man.
He said an agreement with the diggers was that after they had finished collecting the chrome they would fill the hole with soil.
There are piles of stones in Maphanga’s yard dug from the ground, believed to be rich in chrome that would be sold to potential buyers.
Maphanga has no idea what the stones are worth. He sells them to middlemen who regularly visit the families.
On a good day, one load can make up to R200 000, he says.
Franscina Mmoyana, 58, of neighbouring Thokwana village, said she was forced to resort to illegal mining to support her seven children.
“Though I’m aware of the risks that I’m taking, there is nothing else I can do because I have to do something to ensure that there is something for the family to survive,” she said.
Paulinah Serage, 28, who oversees the illegal operations, said there were more than 220 illegal miners who were digging
‘ ‘ I have to do something for my seven kids to survive
on a daily basis.
“Some of the buyers are doing business in an honest manner but there are a few who think they are clever and would disappear with monies instead of paying the illegal miners,” S erage said.
Department of Mineral Resources spokeswoman Ayanda Shezi said they were aware of the illegal mining activities happening in the area.
“Illegal mining is a criminal activity and is being treated as such by the relevant authorities,” she said. “There have been a number of operations undertaken by the department, working together with law enforcement agencies [to stop illegal mining].
“A number of suspects have been arrested and equipment found on site has been impounded,” said Shezi.
She said the department was working with the police and the office of the premier [Stanley Mathabatha] “to deal with the situation”.