Zama zamas need state protection, not persecution
Artisanal mineworkers call for regulation of the industry to deal with criminality.
Artisanal Mining
Ten points about ‘illegal’ mining
The public discourse on ‘illegal’ mining or zama-zamas has reached fever pitch with communities on Johannesburg’s west rand erupting in protest this week against the violence of zama-zama gangs. Here, David van Wyk explores ten points to get behind this ‘confusion’ or lack of critical thinking.
As Sudan’s latest conflict intensifies, artisanal gold miners are caught in the crosshairs
On 17 April 2023, just before sunset in al-Ibaidiya, a Sudanese mining town on the banks of the River Nile about 400 kilometres north of […]
Zimbabwe struggles to end child labour
A recent report notes that children in Zimbabwe are subjected to the worst forms of child labour, involving trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labour in mines and on farms.
Zamimpilo residents hostage to Zama-Zama war
Residents of Zamimpilo informal settlement say they trip over uncollected heaps of rubbish during the day and duck bullets from zama-zamas at night.
Zama-Zama war in Johannesburg’s west
As calls for formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining grow due to high levels of violence, rape and GBV, residents of Bosmont in the West Rand are calling for the deployment of the army to protect the community.
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