Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission. Illegal mining is the extraction of precious metals without following the proper procedures to participate in legal mining activity.

Jan 13, 2025 · A group representing informal miners in South Africa says at least 100 men who were mining illegally in an abandoned gold mine have died after being trapped deep underground for months while police tried to get them out.

Jan 18, 2025 · In South Africa a months long standoff between police and illegal miners in an abandoned gold mine comes to end, with close to 80 found dead in grim recovery operation.

Nov 23, 2024 · Surviving on a diet of toothpaste and toilet paper, South Africa's notorious "zama-zama" illegal miners continue a weeks-long standoff with police in the darkness of a disused gold mine.

Jan 15, 2025 · South Africa loses more than a $1 billion to illegal mining every year and has vowed a crackdown of the trade. There are an estimated 100,000 artisanal miners in the country, known locally as...

Nov 18, 2024 · Communities where abandoned mines are located claim that illegal miners are contributing to rising crime levels, from armed conflict to robberies and sexual assault.

Nov 14, 2024 · Several hundred people are believed to remain in an illegal mine in South Africa after the government cut off vital supplies and refused to help them, in a dramatic bid to crack down on the...

Nov 20, 2024 · South African authorities are embroiled in a standoff with an unconfirmed number of illegal miners who remain underground at an abandoned mine, apparently fearing arrest by police officers at the site.

6 days ago · Mining in abandoned or unregulated shafts, these miners extract resources without permits, costing the country billions annually. According to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, illegal mining accounts for up to 30% of South Africa’s gold production, with financial losses exceeding R14 billion annually.

Nov 17, 2024 · A South African court ordered police to end a standoff with illegal miners and allow emergency workers to gain access to a shaft where hundreds are believed to be holed up.