Struggling illegal miners getting ripped off by unscrupulous buyers
Police say they can’t step in
Travelling on the back of bakkies, tens of mostly elderly women and men are flocking to disused minefields in Driekop, near Burgesfort, Limpopo hoping to strike it rich.
A short distance away, a dry riverbed is teeming with people in search of “sunken treasure” of chrome-rich stones.
They reach the site by meandering bumpy roads and braving the early morning winter chill. Their search for chrome in the area known for rich deposits of the mineral is a full day’s job.
Elderly women carry picks, shovels, worn-out enamel plates and buckets on their shoulders, some using bare hands to sift through the stones.
At 74, Marothi Mmola from Thokwane village should be enjoying golden years of retirement. But she’s among those who are in the thick of things, illegally mining the dumps owned by Montrose Mine.
Mmola and her 38 year-old daughter Sibongile scrub the surface of rocks for two loads a week to sell for R450 each.
With the money Mmola augments her monthly government pension to provide for her family.
“My daughter and I wake up at 5am daily to come and dig in search of the stones used to produce chrome,” she said.
“This has proved to be useful for us as we are able to put bread on the table for the family.”
Intermediaries buy the mineral loads from locals to sell to companies in Durban and Johannesburg.
Although the locals make little money, many feel it is better than nothing. They risk injuries and falling ill from the dust they inhale.
Mirriam Malatji, 51, admitted they knew of risks on their health when they work in the Kgakaneng River.
“With the money we are
‘‘ He promised to pay but he is nowhere to be seen
making here we are able to also pay for our children’s transport to school,” said the mother of four.
But one treasure hunter, Bonny Mohlala, 32, said he recently sold his pile of stones to a buyer who failed to pay him.
“The buyer promised to bring the money later but is nowhere to be seen,” said Mohlala.
He said a truck load would bringasmuchasR200 000.
Mavis Malatji, 34, from GaMashishi, transports illegal miners to the disused mine on her bakkie daily.
“These people are not stealing from anyone. They are working hard to support their families and need to be treated with respect and be paid their due,” said Malatji.
Another miner, Petrus Molopo, 57, from Riba Cross village, also complained he had been cheated by intermediaries. “We work so hard for our families but heartless people just take our hard work for granted,” he said.
Paulinah Serage, 28, who oversees operations, said up to 220 people were involved in the daily hunt for chrome.
“Some of the buyers are doing business in an honest manner but there are a few who think they are clever and disappear with monies instead of paying the people,” said Serage.
She said the difficulty was reporting swindlers to police.
Police spokesman Lit-Col Moatshe Ngoepe said it was the competency of the Department of Mineral Resources to report illegal mining activities before police could arrest anyone.
Departmental spokeswoman Ayanda Shezi last week said they were aware of the illegal mining activities in the area and were engaging various forums to augment existing efforts to deal with the situation.
“Illegal mining is a criminal activity and is being treated as such by the relevant authorities,” she said.
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