The Situation
The discovery of 21 bodies near the abandoned shafts of the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine near Stilfontein, South Africa has sent shockwaves across the country and globe. Over the past two months, more than 100 illegal miners—known locally as zama zamas, or hustlers—have been declared dead, their lives claimed by starvation and dehydration. Hundreds more are believed to still be trapped underground.
The tragedy began in November of 2024, when South African authorities initiated Operation Vala Mgodi—Close the Hole—a crackdown designed to combat illegal mining activities across the country. In Stilfontein, the discovery of the bodies outside the mine prompted swift action from police. The operation began by blocking access points, severing food and water supplies, and essentially trapping miners underground in an effort to force them out.
By January of 2025, local authorities and rescue teams began recovering survivors and the deceased. Videos recorded by miners themselves and released by the miners’ rights group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) revealed the horrifying conditions below. Emaciated, ghoulish bodies and makeshift graves have painted a picture of despair. In one video, a man can be heard saying “Please help us. Bring us food or take us out.”
Human rights organizations have condemned the methods used by South African police and are calling for accountability. Representatives of MACUA won a court case in December which forced police to allow basic supplies into the mine, but the siege is far from over. With hundreds still trapped and many refusing to emerge out of fear of being arrested, the reasoning behind Operation Vala Mgodi has begun to confront the economic realities driving people to such desperate measures.
The History
Buffelsfontein’s history is emblematic of South Africa’s mining legacy. Established in the 1950s during the country’s gold boom, it was once a cornerstone of the Klerksdorp goldfield. The mine operated under the shadow of apartheid, exploiting cheap labor from Black South Africans while wealth flowed to a privileged white minority. Unsafe working conditions and environmental degradation were common, leaving scars on the land and its people for generations.
By the late 20th century, rising operational costs began to take their toll. A series of downturns and labor disputes led to the mine’s closure in 2013, marking a turning point for Stilfontein as the local economy plunged into hardship. The abandoned shafts soon became a locus for zama zamas driven by poverty and desperation to extract whatever gold remained. The mine’s story offers a stark reminder of the human costs of resource extraction, often overlooked in the pursuit of profit.
However, Buffelsfontein is not an anomaly. The history of South Africa’s mining industry is long and tragic, with its roots firmly planted in the country’s colonial legacy. One of—if not —the most well-known exploiters of South Africa’s mineral wealth is the De Beers corporation.
Founded in 1888 by British colonialist Cecil Rhodes, De Beers played an integral role in establishing South Africa as a global leader in diamond production. Like Buffelsfontein, its operations benefited greatly from the policies of apartheid, utilizing cheap Black labor while profits were concentrated among a privileged few. The company’s legacy is extant and has practically become synonymous with the concept of blood or conflict diamonds, expanding its operations into and exploiting African countries already ravaged by violence.
As a result of heightened public scrutiny surrounding their operations, De Beers and other key players in South Africa’s mining industry have recently taken steps towards greater transparency, yet much like Buffelsfontein, the scars of its history remain visible. Although it was abandoned for years, the Buffelsfontein mine continues to claim the lives of Black South Africans to this day, and many are left wondering just how long their country’s colonial legacy will endure. As the De Beers slogan goes, “A Diamond is Forever.”
