Illegal miners are generally secretive about their dealings and the world underground‚ but one Nkosinathi Mondawu‚was willing to open up about the way of life of zama zamas.
He shared with TMG Digital how the underground world of illegal mining functions and the dangers they face.
Mondawu said zama zamas have to move in groups of not less than ten underground to ward off possible attacks by a rival group.
They mine together according to their nationalities.
Inside the zama zama war (PHOTOS)
Those from Lesotho move together‚ and Zimbabweans keep it together as do locals.
“Robbery underground is common‚ if any group outnumbers the people they come across‚ they take everything‚ food‚ water‚ torches and gold‚” said Mondawu.
He claims that he has never been part of any group that has robbed.
“There is stabbing and shooting underground‚ life is rough down there‚” he pointed out.
He says there are areas which are fertile with gold and when word gets out‚ many groups change their directions and follow.
“The last three years we were all heading to Roodepoort‚ but now the Midrand direction is lucrative” he explains.
Mondawu says as you go down to the belly of the earth there are various directions.
“There are written signs of Midrand‚ Benoni‚ Roodeport‚ Soweto. The previous owners wrote those names. It is like taking a gravel road to a particular destination.
“The difference is after about two kilometres you go down and get another flat area and so on. The longer you go the deeper it gets‚” he said.
He says it is dark‚ watery and stuffy.
“In some shafts we struggle to breath‚” he says.
The groups identify areas where there are deposits of gold and start chipping them off. They all carry bags.
“There are knowledgeable people in those groups‚” he brags.
Water‚ food and cigarettes are precious.
“Contacts outside keep the supply flowing in‚ we spend weeks underground and cannot afford to leave a spot because it could be taken over by another group.”
Mondawu becomes uneasy when questioned about what happens to the gold when they leave the mine.
“Go ask people who take the gold from us. I do not know what happens after we have handed it over‚” he says.
He says sometimes when they come to the surface they get robbed.
“It gets rough sometimes‚ we normally send out three people to scan outside before we all go out” he says.
Inside the murky world of the zama zamas
Illegal miners are generally secretive about their dealings and the world underground‚ but one Nkosinathi Mondawu‚was willing to open up about the way of life of zama zamas.
He shared with TMG Digital how the underground world of illegal mining functions and the dangers they face.
Mondawu said zama zamas have to move in groups of not less than ten underground to ward off possible attacks by a rival group.
They mine together according to their nationalities.
Inside the zama zama war (PHOTOS)
Those from Lesotho move together‚ and Zimbabweans keep it together as do locals.
“Robbery underground is common‚ if any group outnumbers the people they come across‚ they take everything‚ food‚ water‚ torches and gold‚” said Mondawu.
He claims that he has never been part of any group that has robbed.
“There is stabbing and shooting underground‚ life is rough down there‚” he pointed out.
He says there are areas which are fertile with gold and when word gets out‚ many groups change their directions and follow.
“The last three years we were all heading to Roodepoort‚ but now the Midrand direction is lucrative” he explains.
Mondawu says as you go down to the belly of the earth there are various directions.
“There are written signs of Midrand‚ Benoni‚ Roodeport‚ Soweto. The previous owners wrote those names. It is like taking a gravel road to a particular destination.
“The difference is after about two kilometres you go down and get another flat area and so on. The longer you go the deeper it gets‚” he said.
He says it is dark‚ watery and stuffy.
“In some shafts we struggle to breath‚” he says.
The groups identify areas where there are deposits of gold and start chipping them off. They all carry bags.
“There are knowledgeable people in those groups‚” he brags.
Water‚ food and cigarettes are precious.
“Contacts outside keep the supply flowing in‚ we spend weeks underground and cannot afford to leave a spot because it could be taken over by another group.”
Mondawu becomes uneasy when questioned about what happens to the gold when they leave the mine.
“Go ask people who take the gold from us. I do not know what happens after we have handed it over‚” he says.
He says sometimes when they come to the surface they get robbed.
“It gets rough sometimes‚ we normally send out three people to scan outside before we all go out” he says.
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