Pilgrims Rest under siege as illegal mining threatens tourism

By: De-Shark

The historic mining town, Pilgrims Rest, under TCLM (Thaba Chweu Local Municipality), once glittered with gold but is now being torn apart by illegal mining and this time, the gold is costing the town its future.

As a result, the Deputy Minister of Police, Cassel Mathale, led a ministerial stakeholder engagement in the town on Saturday 26 September 2026. The engagement was reportedly focused on rescuing the UNESCO-acclaimed World Heritage site from the clutches of illicit mining activities and related crimes, mostly perpetrated by foreign nationals from Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, commonly known as zama-zamas. According to Mpumalanga DCSSL (Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison), the stakeholders attending the meeting emphasised the negative impact of illegal mining, including water pollution, soil erosion, damage to underground infrastructure and increases in stock theft, housebreaking and robbery in the area. Additionally, the activities of zama-zamas are said to have a negative impact on tourism and nature conservation, with land invasion identified as one of the major challenges. The South African Police Service said it is working around the clock to deal with illegal mining through Operation Vala Umgodi and regular patrols in affected areas.

Presenting an overview of provincial crime trends and illegal mining hotspots, Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General, Apaphia Modise, said police were making inroads, having confiscated pendukas, rifles and ammunition, generators and gold-bearing material. Investigations reportedly suggest that zama-zamas may be working for foreign-based kingpins. "People who are illegally mining appear to be sophisticated and armed. Some of them, when confronted by police, don't easily back off," said Lt-Gen Modise. 

It was the voice of the local municipality that brought home the daily damage on the ground. TCLM Executive Mayor, Mogotle Friddah Nkadimeng, said the crisis can no longer be seen as just a policing issue. She further highlighted the damage illegal mining causes to the Pilgrims Rest tourism economy, the environment and water systems, particularly in the Blyde River Canyon catchment area. For Thaba Chweu, Pilgrims Rest is beyond a heritage site, it is a livelihood. The town is a gateway to the Panorama Route and when illegal miners dig up heritage sites, pollute rivers and scare tourists away, guesthouses reportedly become empty and jobs disappear.

"Illegal mining is no longer just a mining issue, but a social, environmental, economic and security issue that requires collaborative effort," said Executive Mayor Nkadimeng.

Deputy Minister Mathale has applauded the police for strides made through operations such as Vala Umgodi, while further highlighting the need for an integrated approach to formalise artisanal mining as a potential job creation venture amongst locals who will in turn protect their mineral resources. He pointed to agriculture, mining and tourism as sectors with the potential to create opportunities for economic development in Pilgrims Rest. "Most of the challenges we are confronted with, the solutions lie with our people. This engagement has made us wiser to the need to further collaborate," Mathale said.

The engagement was also attended by other key stakeholders including Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Community Policing Forum, Head of Department for DCSSL- Gloria Mazibuko, Civilian Secretariat for Police Services, Border Management Agency, Ehlanzeni District Municipality, traditional leadership, business and mining sectors, to mention a few. The Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison reiterated its call for integrated law enforcement, community reporting and prevention programmes to protect heritage sites, tourism assets and water sources. The Department stressed that safety is a shared responsibility and that communities must be at the centre of reclaiming Pilgrim’s Rest.

The ideas and proposals shared by stakeholders will reportedly now inform a coordinated, multi-stakeholder plan to address illegal mining in the area and to ultimately save Pilgrim's Rest from being mined into a ghost town.