Johannesburg - Namaqualand residents demand government intervention and help from diamond mogul and dealer Louis Liebenberg.
According to residents , artisanal mining in the area is the bedrock of the lives and livelihoods of most of the people.
While artisanal mining has gained notoriety due to most of the miners being illegal and undocumented foreigners, the face of artisanal mining in the Northern Cape is mostly local.
Amnesty International during their Women’s Day message, highlighted that in July last year, eight women were gang raped at an abandoned mine in Krugersdorp while filming a music video.
“After over 80 illegal miners were initially arrested and attempts were made to link them to the rapes, 14 men were finally accused of, and had charges laid against them for the crime,” said the organisation
In recent weeks, parts of the country have reported skirmishes between law enforcement and illegal miners.
The Northern Cape Artisanal Miners Organisation says through companies such as Tariomix, trading as Forcer Diamond and Gold, more people are given an opportunity to earn a living.
“The big mining companies don’t want us to earn a living, but through companies such as Tariomix, we are able to earn a decent living. We are able to put food on the table,” a miner, who did not want to be named, said.
Catherine Cloete, another miner, said she was now able to take care of her family through the work being done by diamond mogul and dealer Louis Liebenberg.
“We also want to earn a living through the diamonds found in this area. Through Forever Diamonds, we are about to do that,” she said.
Community leader Paul Swartbooi said they had a right to share in the wealth of the region, which is known for its diamonds and other precious metals: “We have the right to determine our own lives in our own land.”
Last week, 13 illegal miners at Kleinzee, in the Northern Cape, died underground when a mine collapsed.
However, in the midst of a heavy police presence, some of the miners vowed to continue mining.
Hundreds of zama-zamas, who include nationals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Lesotho, told the SABC that they had been forced to mine illegally due to the country’s high unemployment rate.
These miners have been mining the former De Beers mine, with reported scuffles between police and the zama-zamas.
Liebenberg said that through his operation, he had been able to empower local communities.
“We want to avoid illegal mining and give people an opportunity to make an honest living through artisanal mining,” he said.
The Star