South Africa’s chrome riches fuel a deadly underground economy | News
Rustenburg, South Africa — A wall of soil collapsed at a disused mining site near Nkaneng, an informal settlement outside Rustenburg, on August 13, resulting in the deaths of 14 miners, many of whom are believed to be undocumented migrants.
Lerothodi Nale, a migrant from Lesotho who escaped the incident, described the event as instantaneous, saying, “It happened in a flash, and the earth swallowed a dozen.” He fled the scene immediately to avoid possible arrest, as he did not possess a passport, and alerted nearby security personnel. North West police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Arthur Adams, indicated that more miners may still be trapped underground.
The collapse has highlighted the perilous realities surrounding South Africa’s chrome mining industry, where an underground economy intertwines vulnerable migrants, unemployed former mineworkers, and criminal organizations within a lucrative mineral trade.
Rustenburg is situated above the Bushveld Igneous Complex, a significant geological formation rich in platinum-group metals and chrome. This region has historically fueled industries reliant on these minerals, particularly stainless steel production. As the world’s largest chrome producer and exporter, South Africa’s ore primarily supplies global markets, notably China.
Illegal mining activities have surged alongside the formal sector, particularly in North West province. Authorities are increasingly concerned about unauthorized operations that not only endanger lives but also cause environmental degradation. Nale highlighted the dangers posed by abandoned mines, stating, “The disused mines are sitting graves with no geologists to confirm if rocks are still stable down there.”
While the South African government has initiated programs to rehabilitate abandoned mines and close hazardous sites, critics contend that the response is insufficient given the scale of the issue. Thousands of abandoned mine shafts continue to pose risks, and fatalities in these areas have become a grim norm.
Illegal chrome mining is appealing to operators due to accessible deposits that can be mined at lower costs. Experts note that this environment allows criminal networks to manage extraction, processing, and distribution of ore with minimal oversight, concentrating profits among those controlling the operations while exposing miners to significant risks.
Nale described a recruitment system that extends beyond South Africa’s borders, involving undocumented migrants from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and local unemployed South Africans. Intermediaries promise transportation and work in the chrome fields, often leading workers into exploitative conditions controlled by criminal factions. He alleged that the Maresha cartel retains 70 percent of miners’ earnings, forcing them to work in dangerous conditions until debts are repaid.
Loren Landau, a migration expert at the University of the Witwatersrand, underscored the interplay of poverty and unemployment fueling this hazardous cycle, stating that the influx of vulnerable workers seeking opportunities continues unabated.
Amidst this backdrop, Dineo Motho, 29, awaited news about her husband, Kgadi Ntuli, who was unaccounted for following the collapse. She traveled approximately 400 kilometers from Lesotho to South Africa after learning of the disaster. “He left home in January to try his luck in Rustenburg chrome pits because with drying lands in Lesotho, there was no water to nourish our goats, crops or fruits. There were no jobs, no food,” she lamented.
The adverse impacts of illegal mining extend into local communities, with traditional leader Mmanotshe Ramokoka noting that such activities have damaged farmland, threatened water supplies, and sparked conflicts between locals and criminal groups. “It’s an ecological warzone,” he stated.
Authorities have previously linked illegal mining to organized crime, which includes violence and financial malfeasance. Despite the initiation of Operation Vala Umgodi in 2023 to address illegal mining, some operators are reportedly relocating to less monitored areas.
South African authorities assert that they are actively pursuing illegal mining networks, with Lieutenant-Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula of the Hawks stating that 23 illegal mining cases were registered in the Rustenburg area over the past two years, resulting in 63 arrests and the seizure of 20 trucks and 15 excavators used in these activities.
However, experts suggest that enforcement alone is insufficient to interrupt this cycle. Until poverty drives individuals towards hazardous work and while criminal organizations maintain control over lucrative mining resources, the detrimental cycle of illegal mining is likely to persist.
Nale changed his surname to speak freely and avoid possible arrest.
