In Randfontein, in northeastern South Africa, an hour west of Johannesburg, a community in a small informal settlement says it is terrorized by the "zama zama," the name given to these illegal miners who go underground in search of gold. In this small mining town, the "zama zama" are allegedly intimidating the population to drive them away, as the neighborhood is located right next to old gold mines.

From our correspondent returning from Randfontein,

Caroline is wearing a grey hoodie and a black cap. Looking worried, she tells us about the daily anxiety linked to the presence of the "zama zama":

“They knock on our doors, come in, take all your money, your belongings, everything you have, even your identity papers. And if you have nothing, they threaten to take your child. They wear masks. One morning, they attacked my neighbor. It all started in November and continued throughout December. We couldn't enjoy Christmas. It was terrible.”

So terrible was the situation that this community decided to flee. They took refuge for two weeks in a nearby municipal gymnasium before being evicted and returning to Sporong. Thembela is one of the first residents of this informal settlement, which was established about ten years ago.

“We built Sporong ourselves. And for a long time, it was peaceful. It was pleasant to live here. Even though it’s an isolated place, far from any services or economic development, we managed, we succeeded in living. And then one day, everything changed, suddenly. Our tranquility was shattered. We are traumatized.”

Some illegal gold miners are linked to criminal organizations.

In South Africa, an estimated 6,000 abandoned but still accessible mines attract illegal gold miners. Wherever there are traces of gold, these "zama zama" (a derogatory term for illegal miners) rush underground. "They saw that our soil was rich, that our land was rich in gold. So they're trying to drive us away from this place so they can take the gold. So they shoot at us," explains Jullian.

While some illegal miners go underground simply to survive and hope to earn a little money, others are linked to well-organized criminal groups. Jullian leads us to a tavern in the neighborhood. "These gangsters came here and randomly shot about eight people. Two died right there. Look, this window is still broken," he says.

Locally, the exasperated population no longer truly believes in the authorities' help. But faced with the residents' anger, a mobile police station has nevertheless just been set up on the outskirts of the neighborhood.