Africa: Between resource wealth and workers' graves... The curse of riches sacrifices the workers of the African continent.
Mining risks in Africa
When mentioning continent The dark-skinned “Africa” comes to mind as the breadbasket of the world, with its gold mines, precious metals, and all those riches. But behind the billions in profits of international mining companies in Africa lies a dark reality lived by millions of workers who dig their own graves in search of a livelihood.
Stelfontein mine tragedy
South Africa took center stage on the world stage at the beginning of 2025 following the Stelfontein mine tragedy, in which thousands of illegal workers, known locally as "Zama Zama," were trapped inside abandoned mines in inhumane conditions.
The authorities used a “siege” strategy to cut off vital supplies of water and food, resulting in dozens of deaths from starvation or oxygen-deprived diseases.
The tragedy is that these workers are victims of extreme poverty and unemployment, as migrants from neighboring countries are forced to risk their lives in wells up to 3 kilometers below the surface of the earth, fleeing the specter of hunger above them.
Cobalt children in Congo
It is impossible to talk about mining in Africa without mentioning the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has more than 70% of the world's cobalt reserves. Here, global technology is paying a heavy price in the innocence of children.
Field reports indicate that nearly 40,000 children work in artisanal mines. These children do not wear protective masks or gloves, but rather handle rocks saturated with toxic metals directly.
These workers suffer from “solid lung disease” and birth defects as a result of inhaling metallic dust, all for a wage of no more than two dollars a day, in stark contrast to the prices of electric cars that depend on their labor.
Open graves and chemical toxins
In countries like Ghana, Mali, and Sudan, artisanal gold mining is a major source of income, but it lacks the most basic occupational safety standards, which are as follows:
Landslides: Mines lack engineering supports, making shaft collapses a recurring scene that claims the lives of hundreds annually, as recently happened in Nigeria and Central Africa.
Mercury poisoning: Workers use mercury and cyanide to extract gold, substances that flow into rivers and soil, causing widespread environmental destruction, neurological injuries, and acute kidney failure for workers and surrounding communities.
Armed conflicts and exploitation of resources
In conflict zones such as eastern Congo, Darfur, and Burkina Faso, mining has become fuel for war. Armed groups control mining sites, extort money from workers, and turn mines into slave labor camps.
The worker finds himself caught between the anvil of poverty and the hammer of militias that plunder wealth to finance their conflicts, hindering any attempt to regulate the sector or protect workers' rights.
