Zama Zama
2012. Across South Africa’s gold and platinum regions wildcat strikes throw the mining industry into turmoil as miners demand better wages, living and working conditions. 120km away, in Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, another breed of wildcat is carving out an existence.
Known locally as zama zama – Zulu for ‘try your luck’- they occupy abandoned mine shafts, their numbers growing daily. Their working conditions: unstable mine shafts, their wages: gold, sold to: ‘the man near the traffic circle’ for R350 per gram. With officials turning a blind eye, foreigners from all over Africa travel south in search of a way to make money.
The zama zama’s talk about turf wars and being robbed in the tunnels by armed gangs. Sometimes the gangs wait on the surface, the miners are easy to spot, they’re covered in yellow dust, their facial hair indicates how long they’ve been underground: the longer the beard the larger the amount of gold.
Zama Zamas walk through an illegal mining tunnel in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.
Carrying a bag of sand two Zama Zamas exit an underground illegal mining tunnel in Johannesburg, South Africa. August 2012.
A Zama Zama exits an illegal mining tunnel in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.
Zama Zamas dig sand out of an open area in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.
A Zama Zama carries a bag of sand towards a truck to be taken away for processing at an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.
Zama Zamas load bags of sand on to the back of truck to be delivered to a processing site in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.
A man filters sand on bath towels at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A Zama Zama carries water to an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012
Using bath towels a man filters sand at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A man uses water to process sand at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
Using water and an enamel plate a man process sand at an illegal gold processing site at an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
An enamel plate and water is used to pan for gold at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012
A man pans refined sand for gold at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012
A Zama Zama holds a bottle of mercury being used at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A Zama Zama uses mercury to separate the gold at an illegal processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A Zama Zama holds a mixture of gold and mercury in his hand at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A man filtering sand is reflected in a pool of water at an illegal gold processing site in an informal settlement iin Johannesburg, South Africa. May 2012.
A Zama Zama enters an illegal mining tunnel in Johannesburg, South Africa. April 2012.