South Africa: More Deaths Feared in Illegal Mining Boom
Johannesburg — News reports this week that over 60 illegal miners died in a single accident in an abandoned gold mine has underlined the human cost of South Africa's deepening recession.
The latest in a string of illegal mining accidents occurred in part of a mine shut down by Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony), the world's fifth largest gold mining company, in the central province of Free State. "We suspect there was a fire on the 18th of May," Tom Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Harmony's South Region, told IRIN.
"We never saw any smoke. Over the weekend [30 May] we were informed by other illegal miners that people had died," he said. Fellow illegal miners had brought the bodies to the surface.
Illegal miners and gold smugglers have long exploited abandoned gold mines in South Africa and often stay underground - unnoticed - in extremely dangerous circumstances for months at a time. The 'Eland' shaft where the fire occurred had last been mined over five years ago.
It was still not clear whether more miners had died. In a statement on June 1 Harmony indicated that it would not deploy its own employees on underground searches, as "the abandoned mining areas where the criminal miners have been active are extremely dangerous." Smith said abandoned mines lacked the necessary infrastructure and safety equipment found at operating mine sites.
Lesiba Seshoka, spokesperson for South Africa's National Union of Mine Workers, told IRIN: "It is extremely dangerous, particularly if shafts have not been maintained for a long time. Many things can go wrong: rocks can fall on you, you can die from suffocation and carbon monoxide poisoning."
According to Jabu Maphalala, spokesperson for the Chamber of Mines of South Africa, an industry organization, illegal mining was a widespread problem in the country but there were no figures on the number of people involved or the cost to the industry.
But, considering the risks involved, Smith commented, "It must be lots of money." He noted that the miners were usually controlled by highly organized syndicates and were often armed.
Down and out
Most observers suggest that the spike in illegal mining is the result of near record gold prices combined with soaring unemployment, and an increasing number of desperate South Africans and people from neighbouring countries like Mozambique and Lesotho, willing to risk their lives.
"The mining industry has seen over 50,000 retrenchments since the end of the third quarter last year [2008]," Seshoka said. The global economic downturn has weakened demand for minerals, putting resource companies under pressure and leading to widespread layoffs in mining and related sectors.
Official statistics in May put South Africa's official unemployment rate at 23.5 percent as the economy entered a recession for the first time in 17 years.
The number of people out of work rose to 4.18 million from 3.87 million some three months ago, but the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) predicts that almost one million more workers could lose their jobs this year.
In the past two weeks, 294 "criminal miners have been brought to surface at the company's Eland shaft in the Free State. They were charged and will be criminally prosecuted," according to Harmony's statement.
Smith said the mining companies were trying to work with police services and the justice department to address the problem, but targeting the illegal miners themselves would not change things. "These are ex-miners and unemployed people - we need to target the syndicates."
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
Over 60 miners  were killed in an abandoned gold mine shaft near Welkom, in the Free State province of South Africa, after a fire broke out inside the mine.
Welkom,Free State province, South Africa
36 bodies from the Harmony Gold mining company Eland mine shaft were brought up earlier on the weekend from depths up to . On Tuesday, 25 more bodies were recovered by other illegal workers.

"We suspect there was a fire on the 18th of May. We never saw any smoke. Over the weekend 30 May we were informed by other illegal miners that people had died," said Tom Smith, Chief Operating Officer for Harmony's South Region, "The bodies are not burnt. It seems more of a case of gas or smoke inhalation. I don't know if there are any more bodies down there, we just have to wait." 

The workers may have died from poisonous gasses, smoke inhalation, suffocation, cave-ins or carbon monoxide poisoning.

Harmony gold mine will not send anyone in to the mine as the conditions are extremely dangerous and abandoned shafts are without safety equipment. Illegal workers may gain access bypassing security at one mine site, and exit via a series of interconnected underground tunnels many miles away.

Harmony is internationally the fifth largest gold mining company and has bought up old, abandoned mines. 

Police were seeking relatives to help identify the bodies, and are instigating an investigation into the circumstances. 

Almost 300 "gold pirates" were arrested over the past two weeks at the Eland mine shaft alone. Thousands of illegal workers can be underground, and remain working for weeks and months continuously. "These are ex-miners and unemployed people - we need to target the syndicates," said Smith.

There are over 4.18 million unemployed in South Africa due to the economic decline, and another 1 million may soon join the ranks. 

Susan Shabangu, the minister of mining, extended her condolences.

Welkom, with a population of over 400,000 is located  northeast of Bloemfontein, the provincial capital.