Illegal mining clampdown in South Africa: Treating desperate people like criminals is an injustice

Illegal artisanal gold mining in South Africa is in the spotlight again. Under Operation Vala Umgodi (“plug the hole”), South African authorities have since December 2023 been trying to disrupt the illicit gold mining economy by cutting off water, food and other supplies to the miners working underground.

This article is brought to you by Phys.Org.