Johanesburg — Residents of a Gugulethu informal settlement in Springs have returned to digging for gold after being dispersed by police earlier this week.
Over the past several days, community members have been excavating in the area following rumours of untapped mineral deposits near a disused shaft. The activity has transformed a previously vacant patch of land into a network of deep trenches, with wheelbarrows, picks, and shovels becoming common tools for the diggers.
On Monday, a large police operation involving heavily armed metro police and SAPS officers halted the digging on city-owned land. However, residents returned less than an hour after the officers left, resuming their search for gold.
Some diggers cited economic necessity as their motivation, noting that even a small piece of gold can fetch significant sums, with reports indicating that fragments smaller than a rock may sell for around R1,900.
The situation highlights ongoing challenges in informal settlements, where poverty and rumours of valuable resources often drive residents to take risks despite law enforcement warnings.
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