At dawn each day, hundreds of zama zamas flock from Simile township into plantations to ‘work.’ This is the sight a resident outside Sabie has had to live with for the past couple of years, reports theLowvelder. The resident asked not to be named. “Every morning they walk from Simile on the back roads of town, through the cemetery, and then disappear in the plantation adjacent to Harmony Hill.
These plantations belong to Safcol and York Timbers,” he said. He estimates there could be as many as 500 illegal miners streaming into the plantations. In the evening they head homeward, but then each is carrying a big bag.
According to him, these bags are filled with gold-bearing ore and he says he suspects there is a processing plant somewhere in Simile. The resident is also concerned about possible pollution of the Sabie River. “The processing plant uses dangerous chemicals to extract gold from the ore.
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When driving along the R532 between Sabie and Graskop, one can see the reddish slush draining from Simile into the river.” The Sabie River forms part of the Komati River system, which runs through the Kruger National Park into Mozambique. He said recently, while driving to White River, he also discovered a large group of zama zamas panning and processing gold in a stream about 15km outside of town. “I stopped next to the road to answer a call of nature.
I stood on the embankment when I noticed some movement about 30m from the road. I saw a group of about 30 to 40 people in the Spitskopspruit, panning and processing gold ore.”
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