We are Zama Zama - BBC Africa Eye documentary 

These zama zamas are armed to the teeth and they kill without hesitation, you forgot to mention that BBC

What about the families who lose their loved ones and homes because of sink holes 🕳 caused by this illegal mining, are you gonna tell that side of the story? What about the criminal element of this activity? They often have guns and they terrorize the communities near by. Are we trying to normalize criminality because people are hungry?

I was in south africa for 5 years ended up in the streets of capetown i take the bold step en return to namibia today am fair beter then i was in South Africa i have learnt that in life is not about the country one leave behind or the one you migrate to everything in life start within you ,your life is in your hands not in Europe or south africa if you want to make in life today have invested in my property plus owning a erf in windhoek is will farming in my village

I don't like the voice overs, subtitles are a lot better.

31:09 If it collapses, then it's the South Africans who pay for the rescue operation or the repairs for the sink holes formed, but nobody wants to have that conversation, we must just accept this

They have mines in their own countries yet they disrespect us so much . They do this and other crimes.

Disrespecting our South African laws .why they dont do these in their respective countries ...putting the life of South Africans in danger mxxxxm.

Watching this video took me through a string of emotions. Its sad seeing fellow black people struggling like this, leaving their countries and working in such harsh conditions just to make ends meet. But it also angers me to see my fellow people not following protocols when entering a foreign country, this has rendered our communities in SA to be unsafe. Because someone can just kill you and flee back to their place of origin, and they will be nowhere to be found because they are undocumented. Our government is also complicit in this, as they don't hold mining companies accountable, as they have a duty to rehabilitate these places after mining. This indicates that there are people who have an interest in this non viable mines. Our black leaders on the continent are continuing to fail their people.

there is a dark side when it comes to Zama Zamas. One bad thing is the sink holes that form from the blasting and digging they do underground. They clearly don't have structural engineers, so when they just dig, randomly, it causes infrastructure issues and it is the South African tax payer that pays to fix this. Another issue is the gangs. These zama zamas get territorial, so they form gangs to claim these mines, they terrorize the surrounding communities and shoot at security guards around these abandoned mines. Another thing that these Zama Zama gangs are doing now is raiding active mines. A couple of weeks ago, 150 zama zamas attacked a mine and it was a gunfight between the private security and the zama zamas. Sadly a security guard got killed during this attack

It's unfortunate that they still don't understand that South Africa is a developing country which means it won't have opportunities for them. They still cross the border just to suffer. You don't move from one developing country to another, you move to a developed country. This is the insanity of most African immigrants in South Africa. They get disillusioned when they get here. But what did they think a developing country can offer them?

Excellent documentary. its the background music that tickles my heart. its sad to see our fellow Zimbabweans living such life in foreign land. my heart bleeds

People of Zimbabwe I feel your pain and I feel your struggles. No judgement. Sometimes one's gotta to do what one's gotta to do. However, be mindful of the law of the land.

They are in South Africa illegally doing illegal mining and other horrendous crimes. I am sorry if I dont feel sorry for them

incredible documentary. two things id have liked to see though are subtitles instead of voice overs, and who or where the miners sell their bounty to.

BBC always depicts the point of view they want heard it never about the truth for them.

Illegal immigrant and illegal mining, now that is an outright and a daring disrespect for SA and her laws, to begin with, and you conveniently left that out

In the past weeks we have seen the violent side of Zama Zamas when some film crew members were raped while making a music video in the area where the people operate. South Africa cannot carry the financial and crime burden generated by Zama Zamas. Locals closed down some of the these illegal mines by closing off underground entrances with earth moving equipment. African leaders need to know and understand that power does not feed community, a sound economical plan will benefit everyone. Africa can do it, just vote for the best leaders.

THIS IS WHAT BBC DOES NOT TELL YOU THE TRUTH-JULY THIS YEAR-Three trail-blazing models have related the blood curdling details of gang rapes they suffered at the hands of Lesotho nationals in Gauteng on Thursday. The models, two siblings and their neighbour, were among the eight women who were accosted and gang raped by gun-totting foreign nationals while they were shooting a music video at a mine dump in West Village, Krugersdorp. Police announced on Friday that 67 suspects were arrested following an operation by a massive police multi-disciplinary task team. Speaking to Sunday World from the house of one of the victims yesterday, Noxolo Methula* described how they were punched, kicked, whipped and sexually violated by the suspects in one of the most heinous crimes to have shocked the world. After finishing, the suspects ordered them to pour them cool drinks in paper cups, and merrily imbibed it in celebration of their evil deeds. Methula said they were booked by their modelling agency to go for a video shoot in Krugersdorp for a gospel artist. They were transported to the artist’s place in Midrand, who later ferried them with crew members to Cowboy Farm in Krugersdorp, west of Joburg. They then went to the mine dump where they started shooting the video. The victim said as they were excitedly counting down to the last scene of the video, they heard gunshots and three men appeared from nowhere. She said after the gunshots, a crowd of Lesotho nationals came running at them from different directions while shooting in the air. “I hid behind a tree but after a while I came out trying to see where everyone else was. “One of the guys saw me and ordered me to go lie down with everyone else. After that, one old guy who was wearing a balaclava called me and directed me to a grove of trees where he ordered me to undress and bend on my knees. He then raped me for about five minutes,” she said. Methula said many guys kept on picking her among other girls, and took her to a grove of trees and raped her, even when she was profusely bleeding. “I am not sure how many guys raped me, but we can say around six and most of them had guns. They never touched any white people who were there with us,” she said. One of the two sisters, Zodwa Makhubo*, said she was raped twice by two different men at different spots until she bled. Her sister, Nontombi Makhubo* might have lost her virginity when she was raped by one of the suspects. She said when she was lying prostrate with other victims, she was dragged to a ditch by one of the suspects. He dug a hole, put her in it, and covered her with soil up to her abdomen. “When he came back, he found me trying to escape, but stopped me and ordered me to fully undress and opened my legs. I had never been with a man before, and I didn’t open my legs wide enough, he started hitting me on my legs so bad that I forcefully opened my legs, but his thing was too big and he couldn’t penetrate me. “He took a long time trying to push it in, and he was hurting me, but he still couldn’t. He ordered me to get up and get dressed, while I was shaking trying to get my clothes on, he kicked me from the back, and said my thing couldn’t open and started making a joke out of it to his friends.” They were then robbed of their money, phones, shoes and jewellery. “They kept on saying ‘Ntshang di phone, e kae chelete’, even though they had searched and taken everything from us.” When they were done, they ordered the male crew members to also undress. The victims said after their ordeal, which lasted for about 12 hours, the suspects ordered them to leave in their vehicles. They drove to Krugersdorp police station, with the male crew members still half-naked, and opened cases of rape and armed robbery. They were then taken to Leratong Hospital in Kagiso where they received counselling and medical care. Police are investigating 32 counts of rape and 22 counts of armed robbery. The victims were also robbed of equipment worth over R1.5-million.-How zama zamas raped us for 12 hours -victims-sundayworld.co.za/breaking-news/how-zama-zamas-raped-us-for-12-hours-victims/

The voice-overs are disturbing my focus shame, if these are South African nationals couldn't they find a South African to narrate at least? Nothing against the accent or it's people but for accuracy purposes

My heart bleeds for my country Zimbabwe and what everyone is going through. I wish things would be better so we could all go back home but to some extent i believe we brought all of this on ourselves and we have no one to blame actually. Now the issue comes with being in a foreign country then failing to observe the laws of that country and behaving as if you are a citizen of that country. Some of the things being portrayed about SA are just not true, i used to live there with all my documentation in order and never felt mistreated and such. We do have those criminal elements but generally MOst South Africans are actually decent people. Got lots of friends from there who invite me from time to time and they treat me like family not like a foreigner. Fellow ZImbabweans and other foreigners, please observe the laws in whatever country you are in.

the other side of the zama zama is the volent killingand rapes done by these people to communities that they illegally mine from.

although I feel for all africans, my question is WHY have children when you can barely afford to feed yourself? South Africa has it's own troubled issues & because I'm directly affected by their activities in my community, my property value has dropped, our neighborhood is more crime vulnerable & if this documentary shows the dead bodies that are thrown on the sides of the roads for kids to witness from dead zama zamas, then perhaps it would give better understanding why empathy should be placed on the back burner.

Operations like this can only happen in a country where the government has lost control of all aspects of policing society, in any other country you will be a zama zama one day, and a inmate the next day. But south africa is a free for all country, except for the citizens of the country.

Whoever told people that milk cleans the chest really messed them up . Milk won't help anything if you inhale toxic or heavy metals . It may help if you drunk the metals accidentally though not much

I cry for the people from my land of birth. Left in 82, never felt at home in SA. I pray one day i can go back and help rebuild this most sacred land, heping uplift communities

I don't understand why people who can't afford kids make kids

I was under the impression that there are a lot of gold mines and other minerals in Zimbabwe, why can't they do this over there?

What I can say is that niyamosho marn u are destroying our South Africa even natsi Sima Africans we are not working but we don't do what you're doing our country

Underground South Africa. Highjacked mines.

Zimbabwe must address its human rights issue so that sanctions are lifted. The people are suffering because of ZNUPF government, and they end up crossing the border unlawfully and mining illegally.

Zama in Swahili means going deep down #OneAfrica

Subtitles would have been soooooooo much better

This is dangerous.Stop having a wife and child under these circumstances.

4 trillion usd of gold has been shipped out of SA in the last century and thats just the official figure more was propbabaly taken.

MORE TRUTH ABOUT THESE ILLEGAL MINERS-Locals clashed with alleged zama-zamas, even destroying shacks used by them for their illegal activities, SABC News reports. Mpumalanga police recently arrested more 30 illegal miners who are due to appear in court later this week. “They were found in possession of various equipment that are utilised to mine illegally. They were found in Nkanini outside Sabie. All of them are going appear before the court on Monday. Majority of them are coming from Mozambique and all of them are undocumented foreign nationals,” said SAPS spokesperson Selvy Mohlala. A member of the Salbie community expressed their fear and said they were being terrorised by the illegal miners. “The problem started when one person from Sabie got stabbed by illegal foreigners. So it wasn’t the first time it happened, I think it’s the fifth person now that got stabbed by these people. So as the community we decided to take a stand against these people because if we are going to let it happen it means that we are going to be killed one by one,” Mpho Malomane told the public broadcaster. In July, about 80 suspected illegal miners were handcuffed in Krugersdorp. Some of them were additionally charged for the alleged gang rape of women on the set of a music video shoot.- www.thesouthafrican.com/news/mpumalanga-sabie-residents-fed-up-with-zama-zamas/

Incredible collaborative documentary. Putting a face to the lives of the “zama Zama’s” I hope they were compensated for their part in the Doccie as it would have been impossible to make without them.

I Am South African I remembered 4year back when I was living in New York I was working In a restaurant and some people from Zimbabwe notice my accent and they were like you are from South Africa and I was yes and they asked me how are the USA and I told them It was hard living In New York as New Immigrants the rent is high blah blah blah.. .and they were like don't worry my sister as time goes on you will be fine when they left they tipped me $400 and I was so happy and surprised very appreciated iTS something that I will never ever forget as SOUTH AFRICAN. As an African Sister, Woman, and Mother it really teared me up this video

It's time African governments stop the vice of corruption and improve the livelihoods of Africans. I strongly believe in Pan Africanism and I know the resources in this Continent are more than enough for every African if at all we do away with greed of few individuals. Proud to be an African❤❤❤❤

I wonder why this people can't do this at their own country but decided to come to South Africa for this risky jo

Anyone who takes these BBC documentaries serious needs to go and check themselves into a mental asylum. The are independednt content producers giving us better researched more accurate information. BBC has really lost the plot with their fresh out of school journalists and their biased writting

BBC nevers fails in going to great lengths to facilitate social journalism and provide the viewers with an in-depth insight of contemporary societal issues.

I feel their pain but at the same time it's millions of them which creates a problem for South Africa, the government have to cater for all these illegal immigrants when it comes to hospitals, clinics, schools, housing & so forth whilst its trying to deal with its own inequalities & unemployment rate. Our neighbouring countries really have to take responsibility for its own ppl. provided for at hospitals, clinics, schools etc

Anglo-American is the biggest ZAMA ZAMA in our land but hey I don't expect the BBC to show that to the world.

What l will say guys what kills us as fellow Zimbabwean if life is hard where trying we are afraid to go back home and try again because we thought people they will laugh at us .let's take that mind off its okay to go back home if things are not working our thre.

The translating voiceovers are really annoying, rather use subtitles...

Why did beautiful Zimbabwe became so very poor?

Hard workig Zimbabweans yooooh....i blame ZanuPF for all this mxxxxm

It might seem heartless but im not sympathetic. Tell the full story next time. Criminals can't always be "victims"

Get lost all of you condemning others while Europeans, Chinese ECT take all your resources and you say nothing

God please help Africa and Africans, IJN I pray Amen

Stop talking about borders and foreigners. As Africa ns we need to be united as one. Who put the borders who divided us , wake up fellow African.

This goes for any country, uplift your fellow citizens as a tip priority FIRST,then unlawfully miration might possibly come to an end and also less stress to all these internationally human rights groups who in my view is feeding the market by creating even more unnecessary stress on countries thats undergoing problems of their own.The governments from which all these poor people unlawfully migrate from should be ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES,thats if they have a clear conscience at all.

So much money we pay for tax but in South Africa,😭 just look at that fence separating us from Zim its a complete joke

The natural resources in Africa should be benefiting, Africans not outsiders and this his the problems that we get because of our greed political leaders. We need to develop our African Nation with our natural resources.

I don't feel sorry for the people of Zimbabwe they don't want to go and fight for their own lebaration

The voice over is terrible and gives watching the film a very artificial feeling. Is there a version with subtles?

The legacy of the UK and friends, but the day will come and we'll get all that ours!!

Please ask your Government to start assisting you in your Country. We cannot carry the heavy burden. Our Police cannot be there for us because you guys keep them busy doing this ILLEGAL MINING. Rape of kids in SA will not be accepted.

South.Africa is a rich person surrounded by poor people so what do u expect at end all this poor people come to beg & steal from rich person 👆

Come to think South Africans will suffer worse than this in 5 years time under the corrupt ANC government 😭😭😭😭😭

The Song that plays at 44:00. When the miners start coming out of the shaft is so soothing😍😍😍😍.......

God hear Zimbabwe crying We need yo help.😭😭😭😭😭

Amadoda angempela SPIRIT BRAVO

The owner of this program must take the community straight to this mine. All these people must be arrested

Jesus christ this dangerous. Lord have mercy

Sounds like they're speaking my language. Chitonga "Tonga" from Zambia 🇿🇲. Perhaps it's just very similar.

Any mines not in used should be sealed and closed, simple! This will prevent animals falling into it or from being flooded

very odd to use English subtitles when people are speaking in English, but when vernac is spoken, there are no subtitles and you use English voice overs. From the little vernac I can hear, a lot is being lost in translation.

Next time please use subtitles instead of voice overs. It's hard to connect with the subjects of the documentary when voice overs are used

Feeling sad watching my brothers suffering to put food on the table and pay fees for their children

May the stones not fall on them... amen 🙏🏻

Must have been scary to be underground for 3 days directionless

This is very hazardous and sad. Who buys the minerals?

so the sotho guys are a problem

This reminds me of DRC diamond mines..when you go in Never know if you will make it back home alive. Do or die

Souljah love @30.21 the legend lives

Criminals cruel beings 😢

if only the was less corruption in RSA

Our country's justice system is very weak always wait for a small problem to rise to an uncontrollable circumstances before acting up,this could have been stopped a long ago.but because of ruthless politicians we are where we are today.take for instance how during lockdown soldiers were deported in less than a week but this took forever.

you must deal with corruption first in South Africa, you deport them but 5 minutes later they're back because they pay those pple u put on borders, u put new recruits but it's useless because they're being bribed again,, forget abt it if u won't end corruption 🤞🥴 u'll waste ur fuel

heartbreaking, one love africa, it will be all well one day. love you

In South Africa when people know of Zama Zama’s in the area there are all sorts of crime, like they said blood leads to gold and gold leads to blood,

Am confused? The interpreter sounds like is a Kenyan and the zAma zama sounds like Zim or Sotho

How did you see them?You just send them there to make a movie that will rescue your Zimbabwean brothers not to be deported to Zim!

Patterns everywhere

Honestly speaking, they actually brought their wifes with them. What had happened to our country S.A. Just when are the borders security going to start closing the borders? How long is this going to continue like this? Just listen to this. Where is the Home Office Minister and the borders security people? For GOD sake.

Resources never was the problem is the countries that wanna Conner it for them selves

When these nations refuse to obey the Word of God, they will surely endup in death spiritual death. Because of their rebellious heart.

God will really punish the zanu pf leaders this is painful people are suffering

Omg the voice over is annoying! Just do subtitles next time!!!!!

Really deep story into those zama zama going in durban deep even if in those day mining company becoming interested to mine it back. I’m wondering if its possible to get a large piece of gold ore from this kind of deposits somewhere, i’m mineral collector and it is soo hard to get just a decent piece!

War will fix our country this people they don't know what we r capable of including ANC with one chain .the were soldier during the time they were in exile for weak useless rubbish training teaching our young brothers rubbish we used to go to war in Congo during apartheid to stop the war by arms we can stop them our skill was up to par standard than them we r here waiting for citizens to losen belt on our necks but allow us to eat everything on our way just give us week

Subtitles are far much better

Seeing how the Zama-Zama's live and how they have to risk their lives for themselves and their families is heart breaking, its hard in South Africa as a person born and bred there, imagine how difficult it is for someone who is foreign. God bless us all, we may be different in many ways but we are the same.

This was really such an eye opener

Lord have mercy

This is fucking scary. The mine can collapse at any time and you are 100% dead.

I feel the pain they feel coz now I see why there are zama zama in Joburg Everyone need a better state of living as everything cost so much in our days I think government must reopen all those abbordant mine which can treat many job opportunities for the son of the sail

At 37:04, this man is coming from faaar walking, you made this poor guy walk for so long for this shot yoooo! 😩😆