"Many of Gugulethu's jobless residents got to work digging. Prospectors also came from hundreds of miles away, from Limpopo province to the north and the city of Rustenberg to the north-west, said local councillor Dean Stone. By Wednesday 18 February, authorities from the wider Ekurhuleni municipality had clamped down on what was deemed to be illegal mining. Three people were arrested, mining equipment was confiscated and diggers and dumper trucks were brought in to fill the trenches."
"Reports of gold being discovered remain unverified and are currently speculative, the City of Ekurhuleni said in social media posts. The frenzy contains echoes of the creation of Johannesburg, which mushroomed out of farmland when gold was discovered in 1886 and is now home to more than 6.5 million people. Springs was founded in 1904 after gold was struck there in 1899 and its centre is filled with faded art deco buildings that recall its prosperous past."
"The lure of gold has become brighter again in the last year, with the price soaring above $5,000 (3,710) an ounce as investors flocked to safe haven assets amid market volatility triggered by US president Donald Trump's tariffs. The short, sharp gold rush in Gugulethu, which has a population of about 11,500, also reflects the desperation of many South Africans. Unemployment is 42%, and almost 38% live below the official poverty line of about 65 a month."
In a township 30 miles east of Johannesburg, a rumour that someone had found gold while digging a fence post hole triggered a brief, intense rush on a field at the edge of Gugulethu. Dozens of local residents and prospectors from hundreds of miles away arrived to dig for gold. Municipal authorities from Ekurhuleni intervened, deeming the activity illegal; three people were arrested, equipment confiscated and trenches filled by diggers and dumper trucks. Reports of found gold remain unverified and speculative. The event echoes historical gold discoveries in Johannesburg and Springs and comes as gold prices surged and local unemployment and poverty rates are extremely high.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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