BBC exposes child sexual abuse in South Africa’s illegal mines

Jonathan, who spent six harsh months living and working deep underground in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa, was most disturbed by the abuse he saw inflicted on children.

According to campaigners, some children are forced into cheap labour, while others are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Now in his late 20s, Jonathan had moved to South Africa from a neighboring country, lured by the promise of easy earnings working in one of the many shuttered mines, closed by multinational companies once they were no longer profitable.

To protect him from retaliation by the brutal criminal gangs controlling the illegal mining operations, his full identity is being withheld.

The horrific experiences of these young people came to light following the deaths of dozens of illegal miners near Stilfontein late last year, after police imposed a blockade on the mine.

In a calm and steady voice, Jonathan describes the heat, long hours, and limited food and sleeping options, which took a toll on his body.

But an enduring memory is what happened to the underage miners in the shaft where he worked.

"I used to see these kids in the mine - teenagerly, 15, 17-year-olds. Others used to take advantage of them sometimes. It was a little bit scary, and I wasn't comfortable with it," says Jonathan.

He said they were raped by adult miners who promised to give them some of the gold they found in exchange for sex.

"If that kid is desperate for money, he will take the risk," he said.

Jonathan describes how the children would approach teams of miners for protection, but "that team would have conditions".

Sex was also used as punishment if the teenagers failed to complete a task for their team.

Jonathan says the children in the mine where he worked were all foreign and did not realise what they were getting themselves into.

Mining researcher and activist Makhotla Sefuli confirms these accounts, stating that criminal gangs deliberately target children to work in South Africa’s illegal mines. Many of these children are abducted from neighboring countries and trafficked with false promises of formal mining jobs.

"Their passports are taken away upon arrival in South Africa… It’s widely known that these young boys face abuse," Sefuli said.

The BBC also spoke with miners from at least two other illegal mining sites who witnessed children being exploited underground.

Tshepo, a pseudonym, described seeing older men forcing young boys into sexual acts.

"In some cases, it was for money. Some children are recruited specifically for this purpose because of the financial gains linked to trading sex underground," he explained.

He added that the abuse had a profound impact on the children, causing changes in their behavior and trust issues. “They avoid closeness because they feel they can no longer trust anyone.”

South Africa’s illegal mining sector drew international attention last year after a confrontation between police and miners at the Buffelsfontein gold mine near Stilfontein in the North West Province.

Authorities have been working to combat illegal mining, which the government estimates cost the economy $3.2 billion (£2.6 billion) in lost revenue last year.

In December 2023, authorities launched an operation called Vala Umgodi, or “seal the hole,” aimed at cracking down on illegal mining gangs. As part of the effort, police restricted food and water supplies to the Stilfontein mine in an attempt to “smoke out” the miners, who reportedly refused to leave out of fear of arrest.

Soon after, videos surfaced from inside the mine showing dozens of emaciated men pleading for rescue alongside rows of body bags. A court eventually ordered authorities to evacuate the trapped miners.

Many of those rescued claimed to be underage. Since many were undocumented migrants with no proof of age, officials conducted medical assessments to estimate their ages.

The Department of Social Development confirmed that 31 of the rescued miners at Stilfontein were children—all Mozambican nationals. In November, 27 of these minors were repatriated.

Save the Children South Africa assisted by translating interviews between the underage miners and rescue teams.

"They went through trauma, because some of them also saw others being sexually exploited," the charity's CEO, Gugu Xaba, tells the BBC.

"Just the feeling that they may not come out of there destroyed those children mentally. The adult miners would start by grooming them, by acting like they like them."

She says the children were then made to perform sexual acts on the adults and they were then raped, days after day.

Xaba says mining gangs recruit children because they are easier to manipulate and cheaper.

"Children don't understand when you say: 'I'll pay you 20 rands ($1; £0.80) per day.' The adults sometimes refuse to work, but children find themselves with no choice. So it's easier to use a child to do the work. It's easier to take a child who's kind of voiceless and to bring them down there,"  Xaba remarks.

Beyond being exploited financially, she says, there are gangs that recruit children specifically for sex.

Many illegal miners spend months underground, rarely going up to the surface. Markets spring up underground to provide them with anything they need.

"Most children are trafficked in order to be used as sex slaves. And you've got a pimp who is taking the money, and it means every day this child is used as a commercial sex worker."

The BBC asked the police and the DSD whether anyone would be charged over the sexual abuse allegations. They did not respond to the requests.