ILLEGAL miners are the scourge of mines across South Africa, but a KwaZulu-Natal gold mine is pioneering a new approach to Zama Zamas, bringing them on board as partners in a working arrangement that could, if successful, be replicated at other mines.
Birrell Mining International (BMI) announced recently that it will reopen the recently acquired Bosveld Mining Klipwal gold mine in the Pongola area, about 70 km from the Swaziland border.
BMI completed the purchase of Bosveld Mines from Stonewall Mining earlier this year, after having been responsible for the care and maintenance programme since early 2016.
The transaction retains the BEE ownership structure whereby 26% is owned by predominantly community-based BEE partners. The BMI board, under the chairmanship of Graham Briggs, approved the transaction following in-depth reviews of resource and operational potential across the mine.
The mine has had an extensive operational history with substantial surface and underground infrastructure, providing an ideal platform for both current operations and further underground development.
BMI has completed nine months of recommissioning of the plant and several levels underground as well as bulk test work.
According to the company, production began in May. Initial results indicate stable production at reasonable grades with good levels of recovery. Bosveld has a long-term target production of between 12 000 and 15 000 ozpa.
An experienced management team, headed by Tony Knight, will allow rapid expansion. Under Briggs’s guidance, this will include the expansion of the mine and deeper level underground mining and development, as well as the recommissioning of lower levels from July onward.
One of the priorities of Klipwal’s new owners from the outset was the management of the illegal mining activity which in recent months had plagued the underground workings, putting their future viability at risk. Safety was also a huge concern, with five illegal miners killed after a rockfall last year.
The novel solution they came up with was to tap into the drive and determination of the Zama Zamas, rather than to continue trying to resist them.
“Due to the high levels of illegal activity at Klipwal, it was decided to use the local illegal miners as the main workforce and keep the sophistication of mining at very low levels,” said Briggs.
“This meant many ex-illegal miners could operate safely, within our strict safety regulations and managerial control, while earning a regular income and adhering to legislative requirements around contractor employment.”
The ex-illegal miners now form co-operatives. They are contracted as legal entities by the mine to complete hand-lashing and tramming within portions of the mine that are rendered safe by the company.
The co-operatives are trained and mentored and remunerated based on each ton lashed and trammed to a collection point.