Sandile Dlamini is 24 years old and lives in the Paynville squatter camp in Springs. He used to work as a miner at Grootvlei mine before it closed in 2010. Sandile showed me an un-operational ventilation shaft, âNo 8â that has been used by illegal miners as an access point into Grootvlei mine. This gets them access into shaft âNo 4â the main shaft where one can find more gold of a higher value. Sandile says, âMen have fallen to their death trying to climb into this shaft.â Sandile has worked as a Zama Zama âillegal minerâ in Benoni at shaft âNo 13â which is part of Grootvlei mine. Sandile says, âthe conditions are unbearable and you can stay underground for six months to a year and only come up for food when it runs out.â The men that organise the illegal mining operations are known as the âKingpinsâ and are all from Zimbabwe. The buyers take you to shaft âNo 13â and then pick you up when the work is complete. Payment is based on how much gold you find, one gram of gold is wort