Zama Zamas' Gold-Digging Chemicals a Threat to Hiking Tourists Visiting Near Kruger National Park
- The Mpumalanga Panorama route is an iconic international tourist attraction, and the Blyde River Canyon is one of the main attractions under its wing
- Tourists’ lives are in danger after parks and picnic areas closed down when zama zamas invaded the area
- The chemicals they use to harvest and divert gold include mercury, cyanide, and e-coli, which have posed major risks to surrounding communities
- A chief in Matibidi told Briefly News in the last three months, cattle in the area adjacent to Pilgrims' Rest have been dying from drinking water in streams and rivers supplied by the Blyde River
Source: Getty Images
The rise of illegal mining in Mpumalanga is becoming highly dangerous to both the tourism and agriculture sectors.
Two years ago, when illegal miners, called zama zamas, were successfully driven out from the communities of Barberton, Sabie and Graskop in a gripping tale of lawlessness and resilience, they established a stronghold in the historic town of Pilgrims' Rest and the Blyde River Canyon catchment with little to no control.
Ever since, zama zamas have taken up space in Pilgrims' Rest, which is a popular tourist attraction of its own kind, adjacent to Blyde River and the Kruger National Park, which all fall under the Panorama route umbrella in Mpumalanga.
Blyde River tourism industry at risk over illegal mining
The Blyde River system serves as a strategic water source with many downstream water users whose livelihoods depend on it.
When harvesting and diverting gold, illegal miners use chemicals such as mercury, E-coli and Cyanide, which they release into the small rivers that are linked to the Blyde River, which has now turned brown due to the chemical effect.
Hiking tourists like to pause when they get to streams and rivers to drink water. This could lead to illness and death, which in turn may be dire to the tourism industry in the area. Job losses could be on the cards, which would spell disaster for many residents who depend on tourism.
Communities bordering Kruger National Park and the entire Panorama make a living from selling their products to hiking tourists or those on game drives.
Illegal mining takes a toll on Mpumalanga ecosystem
Illegal mining operations are also wreaking havoc on the delicate ecosystem, with far-reaching consequences for both the Olifants River and Kruger National Park. The affected drainage line flows into the Blyde Dam, which in turn supports one of the biggest citrus and mango farming districts in South Africa.
Near Pilgrims' Rest, a local Chief of the Matibidi community, Clara Mashile, lamented that in the past three months, ever since the invasion of zama zamas, at least 10 cattle on her land died due to drinking water that streams from the Blyde River water catchment.
According to the chief, if more cattle die, it will extend the scale of poverty in the area.
“It has not been comfortable to receive continuous reports from residents about their cattle dying lately and we suspect that the problem lies in the water they drink.
"We depend on farming as a community. What is farming without water and what is our economy without farming.
“As a result, the contamination caused by these toxic chemicals endangers the local population.
"The uncontrolled release of these harmful substances into the water has the potential to cause severe health issues, including waterborne diseases and long-term environmental damage.” the chief said.
Calling on Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency and the Department of Water and Sanitation to rid the area of zama zamas, Chief Mashile said the biggest concern was the agricultural food chain supply around Pilgrims' Rest being threatened if the zama zama chemicals keep spilling into the streams and rivers.
“As a community and landowners, we don’t have much power to end illegal mining in our area, but we need our government to intervene and not keep silent.
"We will have to call in the SANDF if things get out of hand because they have more power to deal with this, before we hit rock-bottom economically.” said the chief.
Nicholas Theron, a conservationist at Kruger to Canyons, said authorities had shown little effort to stop illegal mining, which has now intensified.
“The concern is around the impact made by chemicals used by the zama zamas to divert the gold.
"If the river is compromised, it could lead to the loss of thousands of jobs in the Blyde agricultural district as well as the immediate threats to tourism in this iconic area and the whole panorama route,” Theron said.
Zama zamas post safety risk to tourists
Zama zamas have also been infiltrating the Bourke’s Luck potholes and have been spotted in the spaces where hiking tourists visiting the landmark make a pass.
Linda Grimbeek, Chief Operating Officer at Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism said that the water contamination also threatens the life of tourists where crime is concerned.
She further said several parks and picnic areas had since been closed due to fear of being criminally attacked.
“Many hiking tourists like to drink water in streams and rivers but if the situation is like this, their lives are at risk.
"It is also worry-some that tourists are no longer safe bwhen they visit the potholes. Their freedom of movement is also compromised because zama zamas are found everywhere in those bushes.
"It is aso very difficult to deal with the zama zama issue especially since most of them are undocumented, meaning that when serious crimes happen, there won’t be fingerprints to trace them," Grimbeek said.
Early in October 2023, the SABC reported that residents in Pilgrims' Rest shared their fear over their lives since the zama zamas invaded the area. They are mostly worried that when zama zamas fight against each other, they use guns and shoot at each other, which could result in innocent people getting caught in the crossfire.
The Citizen also disclosed that over 150 of the zama zamas continue to settle in the dry beds of Pilgrims' Creek, with hundreds of holes and sifting sites scattered along the creek, making it look like the riverbed has smallpox.
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The Tik-Tok video embedded in the article demonstrates the intensity of how zama zamas have made it their business to settle in the midst of Pilgrims' Rest and its surroundings:
Zama Zama Kingpin’s Killers Still on the Loose
In related news, Briefly News reported in August 2023 that the kidnapping and murder of an alleged zama zama kingpin has the South African Police Service (SAPS) scrambling to find the man's killers.
The police mobilised resources to find the people responsible for the crime but have failed to make any arrests in the murder investigation.
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Source: Briefly News
