ILLEGAL mining continues to cause significant damage in Mzansi, especially in the city of gold in Gauteng.
In July, 17 people died, and 16 were injured due to a nitrate oxide leak from a gas cylinder used by illegal miners to clean gold dust at Angelo informal settlement in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
In another incident, a person died and two were injured in a suspected illegal mining explosion in Braamfisherville, Soweto.
While illegal mining continues to persist, innocent lives are lost, and damage to infrastructure continues.
On Thursday, 27 July, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) temporarily closed all three lanes on Miles Stoker Road in Roodepoort for traffic safety.
This comes after inspections revealed deep excavations by illegal mining activities, creating a sinkhole on the road.
The acting CEO of JRA, Zweli Nyathi, said extensive tunnelling was the cause of several sinkholes, which might result in the road's total collapse.
He said they were forced to close the road for further assessment and remediation measures.
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The road agency promised to monitor high-risk areas where bridge embankments, roads and road reserves are damaged by illegal mining.
But the Gauteng Democratic Alliance (DA Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) spokesman Nico De Jager clapped back and said the province continues to fail to tackle illegal mining, endangering lives and damaging critical infrastructure.
“This illicit industry has become a big contributor to the increasing tremors, sinkholes and prevalent crimes like gang violence, rapes, kidnappings, and contact crimes in mining communities. Many people have died because of illegal mining, and residents’ safety is under siege due to gas explosions linked to illegal mining," he said.
He said that the illegal activity costs the government immensely as they must fix damaged infrastructure not within their budget.
De Jager said he has reached out to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi in the provincial legislature to ask for measures to address illegal mining, but has not received a response.
Speaking to Gauteng provincial legislature spokeswoman, Buchule Putini, said they have submitted the questions to the premier's office, and they have not yet responded.
“We have to wait for 14 days. They [DA CoGTA] are allowed to ask for another 14-day extension," she said.
