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. 2019 Jun 13;11(2):688.
doi: 10.4102/jamba.v11i2.688. eCollection 2019.

The impact of artisanal mining on rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts in Sutherland goldfield, South Africa

Sphiwe E Mhlongo  1 , Francis Amponsah-Dacosta  1 , Confidence Muzerengi  1 , Wilson M Gitari  2 , Abuh Momoh  3
Affiliations

The impact of artisanal mining on rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts in Sutherland goldfield, South Africa

Sphiwe E Mhlongo et al. Jamba. .

Abstract

Abandoned gold mine sites are generally characterised by severe environmental problems and physical hazards. Because of socio-economic problems confronting communities around abandoned mine sites, historic and abandoned gold mines have become hot-spots for artisanal and small-scale miners. These mining activities at times thwart the efforts of rehabilitation at these sites. This article details how artisanal mining operations have frustrated rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts in the Sutherland goldfield. The field investigation of abandoned shafts and analysis of the nature of artisanal mining operations in the Sutherland goldfield revealed that artisanal mining involving digging around collars of sealed shafts is a major threat to the stability of the shafts and their sealing structures. In addition, artisanal mining operations have increased the safety risks of the abandoned shafts in the area. This has also been worsened by the fact that a large number of people, especially women and children, are exposed to the hazards of the abandoned mine sites. This article emphasises an urgent need for the development of holistic and cohesive strategies for dealing with the problems of abandoned gold mine shafts wherever they exist in the country as opposed to simply closing them up.

Keywords: Abandoned Mine Shafts; Artisanal Gold Mining; South Africa; Sutherland Goldfield.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The location of the studied abandoned mines in the Giyani area.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Artisanal mining at the Sutherland goldfield: (a) Fine gravel digging operations, (b) hazardous excavation at Louis Moore Mine, (c) the impact of excavations on trees around New Union Mine, (d) an abandoned cyanide heap leaching setup (e) and an empty container of the leaching chemical used.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Shaft-closing structures at Sutherland goldfield: (a) heavy steel grate, (b) steel wire screen and concrete and (c) concrete plugs with landmark.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
(a) The impact of artisanal mining on the rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts and (b) state of mine shafts in the five abandoned mines in the Sutherland goldfield.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Eisler R., 1991, ‘Cyanide hazards to fish, wildlife, and invertebrates-A synoptic review’, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 85 (1.23), 55.

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