Zama zamas terrorise residents of South Africa’s richest province

Tensions remain high at the Randgate community hall in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg, where approximately 500 residents from the Sporong informal settlement have sought shelter.

The residents report fleeing their homes around two weeks ago due to alleged intimidation and threats from illegal miners, commonly referred to as zama zamas.

The Sporong informal settlement, located in the Rand West City Local Municipality near Randfontein, has been affected by escalating activities linked to illegal mining.

Residents claim that zama zamas, individuals engaged in unregulated gold mining, often in abandoned or decommissioned shafts, have terrorised the community.

This is allegedly through tactics including home invasions, theft of belongings, assaults, extortion, and threats with firearms.

Initial reports from SABC News cited about 500 residents displaced and sheltering at the hall.

Some accounts describe years of ongoing intimidation, with recent violence forcing families, particularly women and children, to abandon their homes hastily, leaving possessions and livelihoods behind.

The displaced group has taken refuge in the Randgate community hall, where conditions are reported as overcrowded and challenging.

Reports mention limited sanitation facilities, lack of hot water, insufficient sleeping space, and reliance on volunteers or external aid for food and basic needs.

Speaking to the SABC, residents have expressed fear of returning to Sporong, stating that even after relocating to the hall, some incidents of harassment or related threats have persisted.

Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has assured residents that police are intensifying operations in the area.

Speaking to the media on 22 January, Mthombeni says a stabilisation team has been deployed to gather intelligence after residents reported that they were evicted by armed illegal miners two weeks ago.

South Africa’s big zama zama problem

This situation aligns with broader patterns of illegal mining in Gauteng and other provinces, where zama zamas exploit old mine sites, leading to community conflicts, violence, and displacement.

Authorities and community leaders have highlighted the issue as part of a wider illegal mining crisis involving heavily armed groups.

Political parties such as the EFF and ATM are publicly demanding urgent government action, including police deployment, humanitarian assistance, and accountability for state failures in protecting affected communities.

DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Community Safety, Michael Sun, said that “this crisis once again exposes the alarming inability or unwillingness of the Gauteng Provincial Government to decisively deal with illegal mining and related crimes.”

“Illegal mining is no longer merely the unlawful extraction of minerals. It has evolved into a fully-fledged, highly organised syndicated crime, with sophisticated networks, access to heavy weaponry, and links to other serious criminal activities across the province.”

 Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Mikateko Mahlaule, urged government departments to ensure that displaced families receive the necessary protection and humanitarian support.

Illegal mining, or zama zama activities, has long plagued parts of Gauteng’s West Rand, including areas around Randfontein and Kagiso.

South Africa’s Witwatersrand goldfields have produced over 30% of all the gold ever mined. But in recent decades, large-scale gold mining has declined precipitously.

Between 2012 and 2019 the industry shed 42,000 jobs, allowing for a lucrative and violent industry to take root.

These operations often involve criminal elements, leading to turf wars, shootings, and community terror, notes Professor of Environmental and Sustainability Law, University of the Witwatersrand, Tracy-Lynn Field.

It has a devastating impact on the economy as well. The Institute of Security Studies estimates that the approximately 30,000 illegal miners produce R14 billion worth of gold per annum.