KEY POINTS
- Illegal “zama zama” mining is collapsing roads, cracking buildings and driving gang violence across Johannesburg and beyond.
- City Power says underground excavations have destabilised ground beneath substations and towers, and some infrastructure is already sinking.
- An expert estimates over 34,000 irregular miners nationwide and warns of worsening sinkholes, as troops deployed in March try to curb the digging.
Illegal mining is hollowing out Johannesburg, collapsing roads, cracking buildings and fuelling gang violence as armed miners dig relentlessly beneath South Africa’s economic hub. Whole chunks of a once-busy road have caved in, and cracks and sinkholes now scar Wemmer Pan Road from underground blasting. Moreover, the round-the-clock digging is undermining transport, power, homes and offices, while gang competition drives a wave of crime, residents and officials say.
Fear spreads across the city
Many residents say the danger has moved from tremors to gunfire. According to 45-year-old Voneen Trompeter in Roodepoort, people first felt their flats shake from underground blasting, and now shootouts have made the area frightening. Consequently, daily life has grown tense across affected suburbs.
The miners, known as zama zamas, or those who try in Zulu, are mostly heavily armed and drawn from across the region. Specifically, they descend into shafts abandoned by mining firms or dig fresh ones, and they steal power cables, damage water pipes and tear up roads, said Gauteng legislature member Michael Sun. However, he stressed that residents ultimately bear the cost.
Infrastructure buckles underground
The strain on infrastructure is mounting fast. According to City Power spokesman Isaac Mangena, underground excavations have compromised ground stability, putting substations, transformers, pylons and transmission towers at risk, and some infrastructure has already begun to sink. Therefore, President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed troops across Gauteng in March to bolster police operations.
Furthermore, experts warn the damage will deepen. Mining expert David van Wyk, who estimates more than 34,000 irregular miners nationwide, said acidic water in abandoned shafts is feeding sinkholes, and more homes will crack and collapse. Additionally, in Bapong in North West province, several houses now sit dangerously close to vast pits dug for chrome.
Still, some miners defend the work. One 27-year-old from Lesotho said he could earn up to 15,000 rand on a good day and feed his family. Nevertheless, communities describe a grim trade-off. Ultimately, as resident Sarah Rakgwanhla put it, children pass water-filled pits daily on their way to school, and locals simply want the dangerous holes sealed.
