Illegal mining is widespread in South Africa. Miners break into derelict mineshafts, oftentimes searching for leftover gold. Organized crime exploits and controls their behavior. Now, above one enormous decommissioned mine, police have cut off food and other supplies that are sent down into the mines. The operation is called “Close the Hole”. Host Marco Werman discusses the situation with Kimon de Greef, a freelance reporter who’s gone inside the world of illegal gold mining.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!