Introduction

“I just wish the governments of South Africa and Lesotho would come together and help us to get the bodies” In May, 31 people believed to be illegal miners died in a gas explosion at an abandoned shaft in the Free State province of South Africa. The authorities have been trying to retrieve their remains, but high levels of methane gas is making it difficult to get them. Their relatives, who are from Lesotho, have been waiting in South Africa for two months, hoping to get an update on their loved ones. Illegal mining has been a big problem over the years, with criminals targeting sealed shafts which still have plenty of gold. They extract it before selling it on the black market, a multi-million dollar industry controlled by sophisticated criminal syndicates. Scores of illegal miners have died since the dawn of South Africa’s democracy, either in underground accidents or in territorial battles among themselves. Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Guests: Mohao Mojewa and David van Wyk