By Doreen Mokgolo
- Over 50 illegal miners camp in the park at night with makeshift kitchens, generators and tools.
- Residents and visitors fear for their safety as mining activity threatens wildlife and nearby homes.
More than 50 zama zamas have taken over the Nigel Game Park in Ekurhuleni, using it as a campsite while mining underground from two old mine shafts.
They have even dug two ventilation tunnels that reach the surface of the park, where they process minerals they mine illegally.
At night, the group camps out in the open with makeshift kitchens, generators and phendukas to support their mining operation.
The park, once known for its peaceful setting and home to animals such as springboks, zebras, ostriches, ducks and geese, has become dangerous. Wildlife is now under threat, and residents are staying away.
Concerned residents teamed up with ward 88 councillor Wollaston Labuschagne and law enforcement officers in a joint operation on 28 March to shut down the tunnels.
Officials from the police, the Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Home Affairs were also involved.
“When they saw the police, they ran into the tunnel. We managed to close it, but they reopened it a week later,” said Labuschagne.
He warned that if urgent action isn’t taken, more tunnels will be dug, putting homes in the area at risk of sinkholes.
Labuschagne also raised concerns about the lack of action from the city. He said the MMC for Environment and Waste Management, Leshaka Manamela, told council his last visit to the park was in February 2024.
“Both the MMC and department staff have known about this for more than a year, but they’ve done nothing,” said Labuschagne. “I’ve sent the MMC many requests for help, but no one from the city has spoken to me.”
Local resident Caroline Maseko said the park used to be a quiet escape for residents and tourists.
“It’s now a scary place. People don’t go there like they used to,” she said.
Pictured above: Nigel Game Park.
Image source: Wollaston Labuschagne
