Authorities start filling up dug trenches at 'illegal' Springs gold mining site

Law enforcement authorities have started filling up dug trenches at a site in Springs where people were “illegally” mining gold.

Over the past week, a kraal in the Gugulethu informal settlement, in Ekurhuleni, has been at the heart of a mini gold rush, following rumours of gold particles found in the ground.

However, there have been repeated crackdowns in the area by police who have described the activities as illegal mining.

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Front loader trucks, TLB’s and other specialised machinery have been deployed to what law enforcement authorities calling “an illegal mining site”.

The mission is to level the surface, clear the dumping spots and compact the soil in order to make it difficult for people to mine in the area again.

On the sidelines, residents from the Gugulethu informal settlement watch on as their hopes of striking gold get buried under a thick pile of sand.

One of them is Thembelani Mazaleni: “Many people are poorer because of this place closing down because at least they were benefitting. Many people are unemployed here, so I don’t know where they going to get food from - maybe they should start breaking into people’s homes and steal.”

Law enforcement authorities have warned the community they will be arrested should they come back and start mining again.