Abandoned shafts closed to prevent illegal mining
In efforts to stop illegal mining, a team of Living Africa employees were on Tuesday, October 8, closing the narrow hole that gives access to an abandoned mine shaft.
It all started on Tuesday morning when police and the property owner, Living Africa, received a report that dozens of people were unlawfully searching for gold below the Angelo informal settlement.
Workmen put concrete barriers to shut and seal the hole at the disused shaft in Angelo informal settlement, near Main Reef Road, where people have been unlawfully searching for gold, according to the police.
Living Africa is working hand-in-hand with the police to stop the illegal activity in the area.
The problem of illegal mining is widespread across Boksburg, and the police hope that the closure of the shafts will finally stop illegal mining.
However, aaccording to residents, the closure will not stop the activity, because the miners are part of an organised crime syndicate.
“I suspect that they will come during the night and break the seal for the diggers who are still trapped inside and for other diggers to enter the shaft,” said one of the residents, who requested to remain anonymous.
“There are many criminal syndicates involved in this illegal mining. Illegal miners drilled the hole next to the concrete barrier, and have been using it to enter the disused underground tunnels to extract gold, on a daily basis.”
Residents say they have seen vehicles dropping different groups of diggers with their tools and food.
“The miners are from all over the East Rand, and others come from as far as Randfontein,” said the resident.
The residents say, authorities were suppose to carry out a search before sealing the hole, because as the workmen were busy closing the whole hundreds of miners were still underground, eking out a living.
“When they go underground, the miners carry primus stoves, pots and non-perishable food, because they often spend months underground.”
Residents in the informal settlement say they have been concerned about illegal mining in the area, adding that the mineshaft has brought a whole lot of trouble for them.
“Illegal mining in the area has put our lives in danger, because the miners are armed with firearms and they even shoot each other for the gold.
Illegal mining is rife in Boksburg and going to jail has not deterred the gold diggers.
Police have recently arrested dozens of people who have been caught mining gold illegally at the Angelo Deep shaft and at the abandoned shaft in Knights.
