Environmental degradation from Zama-Zama Illegal Mining in South Africa: policy implementation and governance challenges

Abstract

In Africa, the legacy of mining has not only contributed to economic growth, employment, and prosperity but also brought risks to pollution exposure associated with detrimental health effects, ecological degradation, and social upheaval, such as the rapid Zama-Zamas. Due to this, illegal mining on the African continent has numerous environmental implications. While illegal mining operations have an adverse impact on the environment, government and academic research into the Zama-Zamas in South Africa has focused mainly on the socio-economic aspects of the illegal mining aspect, so environmental factors have been overlooked. Most government reports and academic literature on illegal mining activities in the country typically emphasize the socio-economic impact with little or no environmental consideration. Zama-Zamas have a major socioeconomic impact; however, their adverse impact on the environment cannot be ignored as well. This is especially true with Zama-Zamas’ illegal activities, which result in environmental pollution that may affect the entire ecosystem as a result. Based on this background, the purpose of this paper is to explore the significant environmental implications of Zama-Zama’s illegal mining in the South African context. The current study has discovered that there is little documentation regarding the environmental implications of illegal mining within communities where it occurs within South Africa’s mining sector, despite its infiltration by Zama-Zamas illegal mining activities. This is a cause for concern, especially within countries like South Africa where illegal mining has become a national crisis, yet the environmental impacts of illegal mining from the literature point of view are not well documented. The limited literature on this issue highlights the need for urgent attention to the environmental damage caused by illegal mining. Thus, this appraisal advocates for the inclusion of environmental impact studies alongside the socio-economic impacts widely reported on illegal mining. For a country striving to achieve sustainable development, understanding the holistic potential risks of illegal mining activities by Zama-Zama is essential.