THIS kasi is sitting on a gold mine. Gold panners, known as Zama zamas in South Africa, driven by desperation, are now digging inside people’s houses to access this valuable resource. Surprisingly, homeowners are not bothered as they benefit financially from these activities. In Bekkersdal, west of Johannesburg, South Africa, several homes have had their floors excavated by zama zamas in a quest to find gold. The miners are willing to cover the costs of plastering or tiling the homes after their operations. In addition, families receive compensation. Local residents view allowing zama zamas into their homes as a means to make a living.
“We’re not working. With the little that is given to us, we manage to survive,” explained a local woman.
Gold hunters can tell the presence of gold by the soil’s texture and colour. One zama zama shared: “When we see the texture of the soil, we know there’s gold.”
He added that they have been prospecting in the area for some time.
“We go around identifying houses by looking at the soil colour in the yards. When we find promising soil outside, we’re sometimes led inside the houses where we seek the owner’s permission to dig,” he explained.
A local resident claimed that he accompanied the zama zamas to a buyer where they received R30 000, which they divided among themselves.
The community reports that this illegal mining has been ongoing for over three years.
Phil Montshiwa, a spokesperson for Randwest Municipality, stated that it was illegal to mine in the household yard, even if the zama zamas have permission.
He said they were unaware of these activities and will be investigating.
“If there’s gold in Bekkersdal, only the mining industry, which has the licenses, can decide. They might buy out the homeowners and change the area’s zoning to allow mining. Homeowners could also be arrested because mining in residential areas is illegal.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said that mining in residential areas is against the law. He mentioned that the police will investigate the matter.
