Investigation highlights child abuse in illegal mines in South Africa

A recent BBC investigation has highlighted the troubled accounts of exploitation of children within the illegal mining industry of South Africa, where smuggled minors from neighboring countries are subjected to forced labor and sexual abuse by criminal groups run by criminal groups. Recently revelations were made after a police operation launched in an illegal mine near Sillfontin in December 2023. The authorities exited the site, leading to the rescue of dozens of underground miners, including 31 children. All were allegedly migrated out of Mozambic. According to the Social Development Department of South Africa, 27 children were rejected in November. Survivor, aid workers, and researchers have described a pattern of misuse, are often admitted to false pretense with children, snatch their documents, and are left unprotected for underground exploitation. One of the remaining people, Jonathan (name for security), to spend six months in a closed mine, where they saw the minors misbehaving. “I used to see these children in the mine- at the age of 15 or 17,” he said, quoted by BBC. “They were taken advantage of, and it was not safe for them.” He said that some minors, desperate for existence, accepted risky circumstances in exchange for basic needs. Other witnesses, including a minein, who were interviewed under Alias ​​Tspo, confirmed similar experiences, stating that young activists were particularly weak due to lack of strength and security. According to mining researcher Makhotla Safuli, criminal groups deliberately target children due to their alleged compliance and low cost. “Their passport is removed, and once they are inside the mine, it is almost impossible to leave it,” he said. Assistance organizations working with saved children report serious trauma. Save the Children’s CEO Gugu Zaba said many minors were manipulated and damaged in the extended period. “He was promised jobs, but faced exploitation instead,” he said. “Some saw or experienced events that influence them deeply.” The performance of these misconducts follows the launch of Operation Valla Umgodi (“Seal the Hole”) in December 2023, obstructing illegal mining operations, estimating that South Africa is estimated to cost more than $ 3.2 billion in lost revenue annually. During the Stillfontin operation, the police banned the supply to underground miners in an attempt to get them out. According to the BBC, the upcoming humanitarian crisis motivated the court orders after the footage, arguing for assistance to malnourished persons. Despite the scale of the problem, no formal allegations have been declared yet related to allegations of misconduct.