Investigation uncovers child exploitation in South Africa's illegal mines
Representative image
A recent BBC investigation has uncovered disturbing accounts of the exploitation of children within South Africa's illegal mining industry, where minors trafficked from neighbouring countries are subjected to forced labour and sexual abuse by criminal groups operating in defunct gold mines.
The revelations surfaced recently following a police operation launched at an illegal mine near Stilfontein in December 2023. Authorities cordoned off the site, leading to the rescue of dozens of underground miners, including 31 children. All were reportedly undocumented migrants from Mozambique. According to South Africa's Department of Social Development, 27 of the children were repatriated in November.
Survivors, aid workers, and researchers describe a pattern of abuse, with children often recruited under false pretences, stripped of their documents, and left vulnerable to exploitation underground.
One of the survivors, Jonathan (name changed for safety), recounted spending six months in a closed mine, where he observed minors being mistreated. 'I used to see these kids in the mine- 15 or 17 years old,' he said, quoted by BBC.
'They were taken advantage of, and it wasn't safe for them."
He said some minors, desperate for survival, accepted risky conditions in exchange for basic necessities. Other witnesses, including a miner interviewed under the alias Tshepo, confirmed similar experiences, stating that younger workers were particularly vulnerable due to their lack of power and protection.
According to mining researcher Makhotla Sefuli, criminal groups deliberately target children due to their perceived compliance and lower cost.
'Their passports are taken away, and once they're inside the mine, it's almost impossible to leave,' he said.
Aid organisations working with the rescued children report severe trauma. Gugu Xaba, CEO of
Save the Children South Africa
, said that many minors were manipulated and exposed to harm over extended periods. 'They were promised jobs but faced exploitation instead,' she said. 'Some witnessed or experienced incidents that deeply affected them.'
The exposure of these abuses follows the launch of
Operation Vala Umgodi
('seal the hole') in December 2023, a government initiative aimed at disrupting illegal mining operations, which are estimated to cost South Africa over $3.2 billion in lost revenue annually.
During the Stilfontein operation, police restricted supplies to the underground miners in an attempt to force them out. The ensuing humanitarian crisis prompted court-ordered intervention after footage showed malnourished individuals pleading for assistance, according to BBC.
Despite the scale of the problem, no formal charges have yet been announced related to abuse allegations.
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