Equipment confiscated by the police from illegal miners in Sekhukhune.
When Martha Madileng lost her job eight years ago at one of the chrome mines in Ga-Sekhukhune in Limpopo, her last resort was to become an illegal miner.
Together with other unemployed women in the poverty-stricken region, they are determined to break their backs mining these mineral deposits or even face the full might of the law.
A woman has already died when rocks collapsed on her while she was digging for chrome and others sustained severe injuries.
But despite all the perils of illegal mining, these women say they will stop at nothing in their desperate mission to eke out a living.
As soon as the sun noses itself from the distant horizon, these women ascend to the mountains with wheelbarrows, picks and shovels to extract the minerals.
Several mines have already closed business in the area, leaving the multitudes unemployed.
Through illegal chrome mining, mothers have managed to put food on the table, pay tuition fees for their children at tertiary institutions, built houses while young women maintain lavish lifestyles.
The mineral deposits are sold to the black market.
The picturesque mountains of Sekhukhune have become home to illegal open-cast mining, a workplace that becomes a hive of activity for local and foreign nationals.
Even giant mining houses share the spoils with locals together digging chrome deposits.
Martha, a mother of three, says a wheelbarrow can sell for up to R100.
Martha said “I spend most of my time at the mountains mining chrome. It has become part of my daily life. I have no choice as a single mother to ensure that my kids are taken care of. We’re forced to do illegal jobs because we are jobless and have no other options.”
Women from Maroega village, a few metres from Tubatse Alloy Chrome mine, say they are not benefiting from local mines’ social labour plan.
Marry-Jane Makgatho said “These mines are not benefiting us in any way. That’s why we are forced into illegal mining. We are supposed to benefit from the mineral wealth of our land yet we are harassed by the authorities.”
Following a clamp down on illegal mining in the mineral-rich Burgersfort area, residents in the area are calling for the government to give illegal miners in the area, mining licenses.
During a recent operation by the Hawks, a stockpile of over R600 000 worth of chrome ore was seized at Tjibeng Village in Mecklenburg.
Hawks provincial spokesperson, Captain Matimba Maluleka said they frequently disrupt illegal mining operations.
“We have managed to confiscate huge deposits of chrome ore and mining equipment but unfortunately, no one was arrested even though the mission of illegal miners was disrupted. We are still going to conduct more operations in the province to address illegal mining,” said Maluleka.