Sporong residents to be relocated amid zama-zama threats

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has assured residents of the Sporong Informal Settlement in Kagiso, on the West Rand, that they will be relocated to a safer area.

Lesufi, accompanied by several provincial government officials, visited the community on Thursday after hundreds of residents fled their homes amid ongoing illegal mining activities. Many have been sheltering at a local community hall for the past two weeks.

Some residents say they were forced to leave after receiving threats from illegal miners, commonly known as zama-zamas. Lesufi emphasised that only registered South African citizens will be considered for relocation.

[WATCH]: Premier Panyaza Lesufi engaging residents taking shelter at the local community hall after fleeing their homes at the Sporong Informal Settlement in Randfontein, due to victimisation by illegal miners in the area.

Premier outlined a coordinated plan on relocation,… pic.twitter.com/BizZ5mIQgw

— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) January 22, 2026

Illegal mining has long posed a serious challenge for authorities, with recent incidents in Sporong heightening fears among communities living near abandoned mines.

President of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (GIWUSA), Mametlwe Sebei, said residents’ fears are justified, warning that criminal syndicates linked to illegal mining often use intimidation and violence to exert control over communities.

“About 600 people have been forced to vacate their homes, and it’s been due to the terror in the community unleashed by the criminal syndicates that are parasitizing on the zama zama and artisanal mining that has developed in the context of decline, particularly in the gold mining industry,” he said. “Now, I’m saying it parasite because part of the failure of government is to make the distinction. Their response of just criminalizing the entire industry indiscriminately is the reason that we are in this crisis in the first place.”

The union leader criticised government for failing to hold mining companies accountable for abandoned sites.

“Let’s not forget it is the government and under the government’s watch that the big mining industry has abandoned over 6,000 mines that today are derelict and ownerless. Their companies or the operation that owned these mines are still there and not being held to account,” he said, adding that some companies continue to receive new licenses despite prior violations.

He called for a properly regulated and supported mining sector to protect both miners and communities.

Meanwhile, non-governmental organisation, the Bench Marks Foundation, has also weighed in, arguing that the violence in Sporong is not driven by ordinary zama-zamas, but by organised criminal syndicates exploiting abandoned mines.

“Firstly, these people that you see on the ground, who we normally refer to as zamazamas, they are only the bottom tier of a pyramid of very powerful syndicate who are operating this industry,” he said.

Sefuli raised concerns over the syndicates’ access to weapons.

 “We need to look into how those people get access to assault rifles that they carry. That is now being alleged that they are using [them] threatening the community with them,” he noted.

He added that the violence is being exacerbated by government failures in managing abandoned mines.

[IN PICTURES]: Today, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, together with Gauteng MECs for Social Development, Infrastructure Development & CoGTA and Human Settlements, visited the Sporong Informal Settlement in the Rand West Local Municipality, following the displacement of residents… pic.twitter.com/hcZjLtAuFy

— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) January 22, 2026