Today's Labour News

MiningMX reports that against the backdrop of record high prices for gold, Sibanye-Stillwater has reported a surge in illegal mining incidents and arrests around its SA gold operations.

Known as “zama zamas,” most of the illegal gold miners hail from Lesotho and Mozambique, countries which once provided most of the migrant labour force for the industry. The reasons for this growing crime wave may be linked to the red-hot price of gold, but Sibanye says it may also be a reflection of “enhanced vigilance.” Sibanye’s data shows that there were 581 recorded illegal mining incidents around the company’s SA gold operations in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 – an astonishing 241% increase over Q1 2023. Sibanye’s security services made 247 arrests related to illegal mining and other criminal activities such as copper cable theft in the first three months of this year, 312% more than in the same period in 2023. Sibanye-Stillwater spokesman James Wellsted indicated: “The operating environment in the Southern African region remains challenging from a security and crime perspective with illegal mining and cable theft the primary concerns, but (also) general criminal activity. Although the recent increase in illegal mining incidents does coincide with higher prices, it is not certain that this is directly related to the increase in the gold price. The significant increase in the number of arrests may also reflect the enhanced vigilance and success of the SPS strategy and preventative actions.” Wellsted noted that most of the arrests in the first quarter of this year were linked to measures to cut off the supply chains that provided illegal miners with the means to spend weeks in underground.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ed Stoddard at MiningMX

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