
No choice: Illegal artisanal miners showed the Mail & Guardian where and how they do their job. Robert Chauke* and his colleagues work above ground, mining Johannesburg’s dumps that have not been adequately rehabilitated, causing environmental damage. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
The displacement of illegal artisanal mining gangs by the police causes the miners to flee to other areas, resulting in violent turf wars that spill over into neighbouring areas