RANDFONTEIN – Hundreds of residents have fled the informal settlement of Sporong near Johannesburg after a series of gun attacks blamed on illegal gold miners, leaving the once-bustling community largely deserted.
The displaced families, now sheltering in a community hall 11km from their homes, are among several communities terrorised by the estimated thousands of illegal miners operating across South Africa.
Miami Chauke (32) is one of the few who remained behind. Walking on crutches with a bullet still lodged in his left leg from an attack in November, he is unable to join his wife and three-year-old daughter at the temporary shelter.
“They all had guns and we were running but they kept shooting,” Chauke told AFP. “I am still in pain. I can’t walk even for 200 metres.”
His plastered leg prevents him from getting into a car to reach the others. “We don’t have money but they still shoot at us. They just take even the little that we have,” he said.
Sporong lies about 50 kilometres west of Johannesburg, the economic capital built on a gold rush 140 years ago. The illegal miners – known as “zama zamas” – are targeting the gold-rich ground beneath the settlement, according to residents.
“The zama zamas say our place is rich in gold, we are staying on top of money, and that is why they are killing us, using the gun to scare us away,” said Julian Mameng (49) who fled to the community hall where families now share cramped quarters.
In one incident, at least seven people were shot in a bar, he said.
Organised crime links
The clandestine artisanal miners, many from neighbouring countries, have become an established presence in shantytowns surrounding Johannesburg and satellite settlements along the gold reef.
The zama zamas – meaning “those who try” in the Zulu language – descend into gold-bearing shafts abandoned by mining companies or dig new ones, driven by poverty and unemployment.
The sector has been linked to organised crime, assassinations, extortion and other illegal activities. The government launched a nationwide crackdown in December 2023, resulting in more than 30,000 arrests and the seizure of over 4,000 illegal firearms, according to police figures released last month.
In December, nine people were killed when gunmen opened fire in a tavern in the same municipality as Sporong, in an attack reportedly linked to a turf war over abandoned gold mine shafts.
“That place is not good,” said Maria Modikwa (60), who escaped with her family of six, including a 10-month-old grandchild, carrying only two blankets and a few days’ worth of clothes.
“They shot at us every day, terrorised us, always demanded money, took our phones and bank cards,” she told AFP at the Randfontein hall.
Most people sheltering there sleep on the floor, with thin mattresses for the fortunate few. Plastic sheets cover the windows. Food, donated by well-wishers, is cooked on a single gas stove.
Police said on Thursday they would increase operations to remove illegal miners from Sporong, including deploying two armoured trucks. Local leaders have called for the army to be sent in.
But the promises offer little reassurance to Modikwa, who says she will only consider returning if an officer is posted to “protect me day and night”.
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