Photos: The perilous lives of miners in South Africa's abandoned mines

Artisanal ember miner Emmanuel Siyabonga hauls a sack of ember to a client's car astatine nan abandoned Golfview ember excavation successful Ermelo, South Africa. The activity is grueling and hazardous but is 1 of nan fewer viable intends of making a surviving successful a municipality pinch wide poorness and precocious rates of unemployment. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

When Emmanuel Siyabonga was a boy, he wasn't fussy astir nan type of occupation he wanted erstwhile he grew up. Other boys dreamed of being footballers, doctors, soldiers. All Siyabonga wanted, he says, was a occupation that made him happy. He was calved successful 1994, nan twelvemonth Nelson Mandela came to powerfulness successful South Africa ending hundreds of years of exploitative achromatic norm and ushering successful a caller era of dream for Black South Africans.

On an overcast time successful March, he laic slumped successful nan ungraded extracurricular a derelict ember excavation successful nan eastbound state of Mpumalanga. His eyes were clenched shut, and his caput throbbed successful symptom arsenic he struggled to drawback his breath. He'd conscionable hauled a 110-pound sack of ember up 84 steep actual steps to nan aboveground from a mineshaft contaminated pinch toxic gas.

The occupation does not make him happy.

"Bit by spot it's sidesplitting thing wrong me," said Siyabonga, who's been doing this activity since losing his occupation arsenic a navigator astatine a grilled nutrient guidelines 3 years agone and who turned 31 this year. "We're struggling here."

Artisanal miner Emmanuel Siyabonga slumps against a wall while suffering from fatigue and a terrible headache aft hauling a sack of illegally mined ember retired of nan abandoned Golfview ember excavation successful Ermelo, South Africa.

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South Africa is among nan world's apical producers of coal, astir of it coming from Mpumalanga, wherever unfastened pit ember mines and aging powerfulness stations dot nan landscape. Nearly a period and a half of intensive, business ember mining present has produced sizeable wealthiness for a few, while leaving a bequest of terrible contamination and biology damage. Yet section communities stay among nan astir marginalized successful nan country, pinch tens of thousands surviving successful tin shacks successful sprawling townships lacking moreover nan astir basal amenities.

Siyabonga is 1 of thousands forced by poorness and a deficiency of jobs into nan sadistic world of forbidden ember mining. Known locally arsenic zama zamas, an isiZulu building that translates loosely arsenic "those who return a chance," they usage small much than pickaxes and their bare hands, undertaking utmost hardships and sizeable consequence to salvage what mining companies person near behind.

To section households, galore of whom trust connected ember for cooking and heating their homes, Siyabonga and others for illustration him supply an basal service. Yet successful nan eyes of nan government, they are criminals and a threat to society. To run legally, they would request permits, yet nether South Africa's existent mining system, it is virtually intolerable for them to get them.

"People are conscionable trying to find a life here," said Siyabonga, whose meager net thief support his 2 children, ages 2 and 6. "There's nary work. We're sitting astatine location pinch nary money successful our pockets."

The abandonment of a mine

The Golfview Mine, wherever Siyabonga is working, is 1 of respective abandoned mines dotted astir nan municipality of Ermelo successful nan bosom of South Africa's ember belt. It was erstwhile operated by Golfview Mining Ltd, a subsidiary of Anker Coal and Mineral Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd, itself portion of nan Netherlands-based Anker group. Struggling financially, Golfview Mining halted operations successful 2014, and went into business rescue nan pursuing year, aft being acquired arsenic portion of a package by nan Namane Group, a South African conglomerate. The tract hasn't been commercially mined since. (Business rescue successful South Africa is ineligible process that sets up outer supervision for a institution successful dire straits successful an effort to reconstruct financial stability.)

An illicit ember miner, known locally arsenic a zama zama, walks done a scenery scarred by large-scale mining astatine nan abandoned Golfview mine. Mining companies are required by rule to rehabilitate their onshore aft ceasing operations yet successful believe this seldom happens. A typical of Golfview Mining told NPR that, while nan tract has not been mined successful complete a decade, it could beryllium mined again successful nan early and was truthful not considered technically closed.

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Neither has it been cleaned up. Today Golfview remains heavy polluted and scarred pinch mining pits and discarded heaps. Old excavation buildings and rusting machinery slow decay, immoderate of them now submerged successful floodwaters. Zama zamas opportunity that sections of nan excavation underground person been burning unchecked for complete a decade.

Fires, passageway collapses, undetected gas

The subterranean fires are conscionable 1 of nan obstacles facing Siyabonga and his colleagues. Tunnel collapses are a changeless risk. So excessively are nan effects of semipermanent vulnerability to ember dust. But his top worry, he said, is nan state that drifts undetected done nan aged tunnels.

"You don't spot it but you consciousness it coming into your brain," he said. "You consciousness your mind becoming dizzy. You perceive a ringing successful your ears, past you request to get out. If you stay, it's over."

Artisanal miners inspect a ace successful nan ceiling of a precocious dug passageway astatine Ding Dong excavation extracurricular Ermelo, South Africa. Such mines tin beryllium hazardous places to work, yet for many, amid wide unemployment, they stay 1 of nan only viable ways of supporting their families. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

A period earlier, 4 of his colleagues had been carried retired unconscious by chap miners aft being flooded by gas. Cellphone video footage seen by NPR shows a group of miners frantically slapping and pouring h2o complete their limp bodies successful an effort to revive them. The men recovered successful nan hospital. Others person been little fortunate.

South Africa requires mining companies to rehabilitate their onshore aft wrapping up operations, but nan authorities is seldom enforced, and respective loopholes beryllium to debar nan responsibility. In 2017, nan mining ministry reported that retired of astir 6,000 abandoned aliases ownerless mines crossed nan country, little than 1% had been decently rehabilitated. Many of these person since go magnets for forbidden mining. At Golfview, constricted rehabilitation activity was started but ne'er completed.

A Golfview representative, who said connected nan information of anonymity, said nan activity had not been done because, moreover though nan institution had not mined location successful a decade, nan tract could beryllium mined again successful nan early and was truthful not technically considered closed. He besides said that nan institution had tried and grounded to extremity forbidden mining.

"The institution has done everything it perchance tin to unafraid nan site," he told NPR complete nan phone, adding that 2 of its information contractors had been killed by forbidden miners there. "SAPS [The South African Police Service] don't want to thief us, nan DMRE [Department of Mineral Resources and Energy] doesn't want to thief us. Nobody wants to touch it."

Ivy Mkhuma, 39, displays a photograph of her precocious hubby astatine her location connected nan separator of a ember excavation successful nan township of Vosman successful eMalahleni, South Africa. Mkhuna believes aerial contamination from nan excavation contributed to nan decease of her husband, who was asthmatic. Since she moved to nan area, nan mines person encroached ever person toward nan separator of nan settlement.

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Brigadier Donald Mdluli, a spokesperson for nan SAPS, said nan constabulary do periodically behaviour raids astatine Golfview, but that they are not capable to permanently defender a privately owned mine. The DMRE did not respond to NPR's requests for comment.

In nan past, location were sometimes hundreds of artisanal miners — nan word utilized for those moving connected a mini standard and pinch constricted devices — operating astatine Golfview. But since nan state became much prevalent astir nan extremity of 2024, for reasons not afloat understood, astir near for different mines. During NPR's visit, Siyabonga was 1 of conscionable 5 men moving connected nan site. They worked successful pairs, 1 hacking astatine nan walls while nan different rested. The men were truthful fatigued that each could only negociate a fewer swings of nan prime earlier switching places. Hauling nan load backmost to nan aboveground took each their remaining strength.

"It's not easy moving present pinch nan gas," said Nzunzo Xhulu, a workfellow of Siyabonga's, aft hauling up different sack of coal. "But there's nary work, nary money. We're hustling here."

Artisanal miner Nzunzo Xhulu hauls a sack of ember up a formation of steps astatine nan abandoned Golfview ember excavation successful Ermelo, South Africa. hide caption

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From clip to time, cars pulled successful to bargain coal. Despite Mpumalanga being location to 11 coal-fired powerfulness stations, galore residents still deficiency entree to energy and stay heavy reliant connected coal, particularly during nan wintertime arsenic a important root of heating. Almost each of nan large-scale mines successful nan area waste their ember to nan powerfulness stations aliases export it overseas, leaving artisanal miners for illustration Siyabonga and Xhulu arsenic nan main root for hundreds of thousands of households crossed nan country.

"The organization wholly relies connected us," said Jabulani Sibiya, nan caput of nan artisanal miners relation successful Ermelo. "We waste to everyone. We waste straight to nan schools, moreover to immoderate constabulary officers."

Sibiya was speaking from extracurricular nan entranceway of "Ding Dong" mine, different illicit cognition connected nan different broadside of town. As he talked, bare-chested miners heaved wheelbarrows afloat of ember up a steep way toward a waiting truck. Barely a 100 yards distant astatine nan ft of nan hill, a brace of middle-aged achromatic golfers clad successful shorts and polo shirts wheeled their play bags on a pristine fairway astatine nan Ermelo Country Club.

Jabulani Vela Sibiya, president of nan Ermelo Community Artisanal Miners Association, photographed astatine an illicit ember retention tract successful nan township of Wesselton successful Ermelo, South Africa. hide caption

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"The mining companies person done thing for nan community," said Sibiya, who besides runs an illicit ember gait extracurricular nan tin shack wherever he lives pinch his woman and children successful a adjacent township. "The onshore is destroyed. There's thing other we tin do here. The authorities sees america arsenic criminals and gangsters. But these guys are conscionable trying to past and provender their families."

While nan miners astatine Ding Dong unrecorded successful fearfulness of raids by nan nationalist police, they besides opportunity they look regular extortion from nan section police.

"They don't want to fastener america up, they conscionable want money," said Sibiya. "And they return it by force. We get nary peace."

Brigadier Mdluli said nan work does not "promote corruption" and that if reported formally, action would beryllium taken.

Does mining genuinely use section communities?

Since nan first South African gem was discovered successful 1867, mining has played an outsized domiciled successful shaping nan state and its uniquely unequal society. It not only underwrote assemblage description crossed Southern Africa, said Robert Krause, caput of nan Environmental Justice Programme astatine nan Centre for Applied Legal Studies astatine Johannesburg's University of Witwatersrand, it besides provided a cardinal information for nan ample standard appropriation of onshore and nan wide exploitation of Black labor, which successful move helped pave nan measurement for apartheid. For complete a period and a half, immense wealthiness was extracted. Very small trickled down to mean people.

30-year-old artisanal miner David Vilakazi fills a wheelbarrow pinch illegally mined ember successful an informal excavation adjacent Ermelo, South Africa. The activity is considered forbidden by constabulary because nan miners do not person a license, yet nan municipality depends connected their coal, and nan system surrounding it. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

After apartheid, caller laws were drafted that aimed to make nan manufacture much accessible to Black South Africans. The authorities took ownership of each mineral resources, issuing mining authorities to applicants who wished to mine. Yet nan conditions of obtaining a licence aliases licence were truthful onerous and costly that they mostly remained accessible only to companies aliases nan highly wealthy. Requirements for mining companies to put successful section communities were near vague. And artisanal mining was omitted from nan legislation.

"Both nan behaviour of mining companies and nan state's nonaccomplishment to modulate person created this situation," said Krause. "Over 30 years aft nan advent of democracy, nan economical benefits of mining are still felt nan slightest by nan communities that are astir impacted, who unrecorded closest to mines. South Africa has an immense unemployment crisis, but often nan figures are moreover higher among mining communities than they are nationally, which says a lot."

An aerial position of nan colony of Duvha, which lies adjacent to a ember excavation and nan ember fired Duvha powerfulness station, successful Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Mpumalanga, nan heartland of nan country's ember industry, has immoderate of nan worst rates of aerial contamination successful nan world according to a 2018 study of outer data. hide caption

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In May 2025, nan authorities released a draught measure to amend existent mining laws, offering nan imaginable of a imaginable early formalization of artisanal mining. Yet ineligible experts opportunity nan measure could extremity up doing much harm than good. For 1 thing, its meaning of artisanal mining is highly narrow, applying only to those utilizing nan astir rudimentary devices and moving connected nan surface, instantly ruling retired miners for illustration Siyabonga and Xhulu who activity underground. Artisanal miners opportunity nan projected size of nan areas designated for artisanal mining, astatine little than 4 quadrate acres, is excessively small, and that nan licence strategy would not cater to mining cooperatives, only to individuals.

But astir concerning, said Krause, is that for anyone incapable to comply pinch nan caller regulations, nan draught measure introduces penalties of up to a decade successful jailhouse for forbidden mining and creates caller offenses of "aiding and abetting forbidden mining" and "transporting" illegally mined products. In a spot for illustration Ermelo, wherever ember is simply a cornerstone of nan economy, this could criminalize full communities.

"There's already a batch of victimization of biology and artisanal mining activists," said Krause. "So this is only going to springiness much devices for arrests."

Artisanal miners astatine activity wrong nan abandoned Golfview ember excavation successful Ermelo, South Africa. The activity is gruelling and hazardous, peculiarly successful caller months aft sections of nan excavation became filled pinch venomous gas. But amid wide unemployment, galore opportunity this is nan only measurement they tin proceed to provender their families. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Krause expressed interest that, without provisions for training aliases different support that would thief artisanal miners comply pinch nan caller regulations, nan measure could beryllium utilized to, "justify an intensified militarized response."

In precocious 2023, nan constabulary launched a nationwide crackdown connected forbidden mining known arsenic cognition Vala Umgodi. They opportunity nan move has led to nan apprehension of much than 18,000 forbidden miners. Yet Vala Umgodi's raids connected mining sites crossed nan state person been blamed for galore deaths and nan cognition is presently nether investigation by South Africa's Human Rights Commission. Much of nan attraction of nan cognition has been connected nan forbidden mining of golden and diamonds, yet nan ember loop has besides been targeted.

A conflict pinch constabulary

On December 12 past year, T, an artisanal miner from Zimbabwe, said he was resting extracurricular nan entranceway to Ding Dong excavation erstwhile he saw a group of constabulary approaching successful play buggies crossed nan play course. He turned and ran toward nan mine, wherever he hoped he mightiness evade arrest. Then he heard gunshots, and moments later, felt a burning symptom successful his leg. He'd been deed twice, erstwhile successful nan hip, different successful nan soul thigh. He made it into nan mine, wherever he hid for nan adjacent 4 hours.

"I was bleeding and successful pain," said T, who asked that only nan first of his first sanction beryllium used, complete fears of constabulary retaliation. "I was scared, my bosom was beating truthful fast."

After yet leaving nan excavation erstwhile nan seashore seemed clear, T was excessively acrophobic of nan constabulary to activity thief astatine a hospital. Instead he made his measurement home, wherever his woman washed and dressed his wounds arsenic champion she could. Only later did he study different miner had been changeable and killed during nan raid.

"It was unbelievable, for illustration a movie," said T, recalling his consciousness of daze that nan authorities would usage lethal unit against nan artisanal miners. "I was truthful confused. I didn't bargain thing from anyone. To maine it's not wrong."

In a statement, Mpumalanga Police claimed miners opened occurrence connected them but galore miners contradict this. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is presently investigating nan incident.

Operation Vala Umgodi made world headlines successful January erstwhile constabulary trim disconnected nutrient supplies to hundreds of forbidden miners trapped astir a mile and a 4th underground successful an abandoned golden excavation adjacent Johannesburg. The constabulary said that nan men could exit nan excavation via different shaft pinch a functioning lift. The miners insist nan 2 shafts were not connected. Only aft a tribunal was shown video footage from wrong nan excavation showing dozens of bodies and emaciated survivors did nan authorities motorboat a rescue. During nan siege, much than 90 men died.

In January, constabulary trim disconnected nutrient and h2o supplies to hundreds of forbidden miners trapped astir a mile and a 4th underground successful an abandoned golden excavation adjacent Johannesburg. Only aft a tribunal was shown video footage from wrong nan excavation showing dozens of bodies and emaciated survivors did nan authorities motorboat a rescue. Above: A constabulary serviceman opinionated defender extracurricular nan mine.. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Nobody has taken accountability, and nan wide deaths person mostly been blamed connected nan miners themselves, whom authorities officials person many times characterized arsenic vulnerable criminals. Asked during nan siege whether nan authorities would nonstop nutrient to nan trapped miners, Minister successful nan Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni replied, "Criminals are not to beryllium helped. Criminals are to beryllium persecuted."

Back successful Ermelo, Jabulani Sibiya believes it is intolerable for nan authorities to efficaciously constabulary forbidden mining successful nan agelong term. There are now much than 6,000 abandoned and ownerless mines crossed nan country, immense mineral wealthiness still successful nan ground, and a monolithic organization of unemployed and disenfranchised young men who will spell to utmost lengths to support their families. And pinch nan state presently attempting to modulation from ember to greener energy, a process that nan authorities acknowledges will consequence successful hundreds of thousands of occupation losses, nan numbers of group looking to excavation artisanally are only apt to grow.

"You can't conflict nan people," said Sibiya, who believes formalization of artisanal mining is nan only solution. "Two weeks aft a excavation closes, we scheme connected our Whatsapp group to spell backmost in. People will ever find a way."

A fatal job

The time aft NPR's sojourn to Golfview mine, a customer arrived and requested a ton of coal, an unusually ample order. Emmanuel Siyabonga had taken a time disconnected to manus retired resumes successful municipality successful yet different effort to find little vulnerable work. But his friend Nzunzo Xhulu, on pinch different colleague, agreed to return connected nan job.

Artisanal ember miners including Nzunzo Xhulu (l) hole to present a wheelbarrowful of ember to a waiting purchaser astatine nan abandoned Golfview excavation successful Ermelo, South Africa. Much of nan section organization relies connected nan ember produced by forbidden mining astatine sites for illustration this one. Nzunzo Xhulu died successful nan mine, astir apt from state exposure, 2 days aft this photograph was taken. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

The pursuing morning, nan constabulary discovered their lifeless bodies lying astatine nan apical of nan steps. Sibiya said nan men had been killed by state underground, their bodies carried retired of nan excavation by colleagues and near for nan constabulary to find.

"It pained maine truthful much," said Sibiya, who blames some nan authorities and nan mining companies for nan men's deaths. If much of nan benefits of large-scale mining were reaching nan community, he argues, men for illustration Xhulu wouldn't consciousness compelled to do this work. And if nan authorities were to decently formalize and modulate artisanal mining, he says, nan miners wouldn't extremity up operating successful nan shadows without information instrumentality aliases support.

"The authorities has grounded us," said Sibiya. "But I judge location must beryllium a measurement for america to stock successful nan mineral wealth. I don't want my kids to extremity up for illustration me."

Jabulani Vela Sibiya, president of nan Ermelo Community Artisanal Miners Association kisses his girl extracurricular his location successful nan ember mining municipality of Ermelo, South Africa. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption

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Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Tommy Trenchard is an independent photojournalist based successful Cape Town, South Africa. He has antecedently contributed photos and stories to NPR connected nan Mozambique cyclone of 2019, Indonesian decease rituals and forbidden miners successful abandoned South African gem mines and won a World Press Photo prize for nan images successful his communicative for NPR connected clashes betwixt elephants and group successful Zambia.