Policing illegal miners isn’t working. What will?
WHEN 87 illegal miners died underground at Stilfontein in 2024 – and 1,826 surfaced from abandoned shafts – the event was a symptom, not an aberration. The uncomfortable truth…
Froneman on crime: “Don’t be soft, let’s call it treason”
PUTTING people on special leave is no way to root out crime and corruption, says Neal Froneman, the no-nonsense hard man of South African mining and chair of Business Against…
US lawmakers to push for $70bn critical minerals boost
LEGISLATION will be introduced in the US today authorising $70bn in additional funding for the Export-Import Bank over the next decade, as the agency takes on a central role in…
Congo prolongs ban on conflict mineral trading sites
THE Democratic Republic of Congo’s mines ministry has prolonged a prohibition on mineral trading from dozens of artisanal operations in its conflict-affected eastern provinces…
Bridge collapse kills dozens at Congo copper mine
AT least 30 people died when a bridge collapsed at a semi-industrial copper mine in southeastern Congo on Saturday, said Reuters citing the country’s artisanal mining agency. An…
Ghana’s proposed Gold Board will target small scale mining
GHANA this week unveiled plans for a Gold Board that will be tasked with boosting returns from the sector by streamlining metal purchases from small scale miners and reduce…
Bodies of illegal miners recovered from Buffelsfontein mine
NINE bodies were among illegal miners retrieved from the Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein following rescue operations which started on Monday. Hundreds of illegal miners…
Target kingpins behind illegal mining, says Froneman
NEAL Froneman, CEO of Sibanye-Stillwater said law enforcement authorities should target crime kingpins if they want to stamp out illegal gold mining. Froneman, who is also chair…
Court dismisses Tanzania lawsuit against Barrick Gold
ONTARIO’S Superior Court on Tuesday dismissed a case against Barrick Gold brought by Tanzanian residents on security incidents in the country, as the courts lacked jurisdiction…
Police considering rescue mission of illegal gold miners
AUTHORITIES in South Africa are considering whether to rescue potentially thousands of illegal miners in a disused Buffelsfontein gold mine south-east of Johannesburg. The…
Ramaphosa urges safe delivery of illegal miners
SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused…
Barrick to argue court case is “egregious forum-shopping”
BARRICK Gold is back in the Ontario Superior Court today where it will seek to have allegations of human rights abuses dismissed or permanently stayed. The allegations relate to…
Saudi’s rise in mining is breathtaking, and problematic
L ong the world’s largest producer of oil, Saudi Arabia now seeks to unlock a treasure trove of minerals beneath its sands while using the endowment generated by decades of…
Mali agrees Russia deal to build Africa’s largest gold refinery
MALI signed an agreement with Russia to build a gold refinery in Bamako in a development Reuters described as further evidence western influence in the West African gold producer…
What’s behind mining’s talent problem?
MINING has got an enduring image problem. No matter the reams of glossy sustainability reports it generates every year, mining remains firmly unloved – especially among the next…
Gertler enlists support of Congo president in effort to have sanctions revoked
ISRAELI businessman Dan Gertler has enlisted the support of Congo president Felix Tshisekedi in having US sanctions revoked, the New York Times has reported. The newspaper cited…
Illegal mining a global hazard as Barrick’s blistering attack on RAID demonstrates
MARK Bristow’s account of mine incursions by criminal gangs, some 100-people strong, has its echo in rampant criminal activities in South Africa. Illegal miners armed with…
New Technology Aims to Stop An Old Danger in South Africa’s Mines
November 25, 2022 by Ed Stoddard Thabang Ditibane spread his arms wide to describe the size of the stone that killed a fellow South African miner four years ago. “I heard the…
Illegal mining scourge is tearing through Africa and governments are powerless to respond
ILLEGAL mining is a huge and growing problem across much of Africa but it seems to be particularly prevalent in South Africa, where it is getting rapidly larger and more…
Petra, a diamond miner hit twice by the illegal mining scourge
LONDON-listed Petra Diamonds provides a good example of what can happen to a mining company when it gets hit by widespread illegal mining on its properties and has to deal with…