☀ WEATHER● RADIOAdvertise
DVDOWNUNDERVOICESAustralia · New Zealand · World
Back to Social Issues
Social Issues

30 October 2026

Sinkholes, scarred land and scapegoats: the scourge of illegal gold mining in Johannesburg

Downunder Voices Newsroom

Source reporting: The Guardian World

FacebookEmail
Sinkholes, scarred land and scapegoats: the scourge of illegal gold mining in Johannesburg

There is no end in sight for the drivers of illegal mining, while police action appears ineffective Cora Bailey has been encountering illegal miners ever since she first started treating injured animals in the townships around Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, in 1991. But as the price of gold has soared, so too has activity in the abandoned mine shafts that mark the area. In late September, dozens of zama zamas – the name given to illegal miners in South Africa, meaning roughly “to take a chance” in Zulu – arrived to dig for gold across the dirt road from her charity, Claw (Community Led Animal Welfare).

About this report

Downunder Voices provides an independently written summary and community perspective based on information published by the original source. The original publisher remains responsible for its reporting.

Join our community

Follow Downunder Voices

Join thousands of readers following news and community stories from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Follow on FacebookSubmit your story

More from Social Issues

View category
Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers appoints first female presidentSocial Issues
Source: Splash247

30 October 2026

Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers appoints first female president

Greek shipping education specialist Natalia Margioli-Komninou has become the first woman to lead the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) in its 115-year history.   Margioli-Komninou took over as president at the institute’s Controlling Council meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, succeeding Punit Oza, who held the position for the past two years. She is also the …

Splash247Read original
Waitangi Tribunal says Crown 'fell short' over schools — an apology is only the startSocial Issues
Downunder Voices Original

30 October 2026

Waitangi Tribunal says Crown 'fell short' over schools — an apology is only the start

The Waitangi Tribunal’s finding that the Crown’s process to remove school boards’ obligations to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi “fell short of the standard of honour required” is a serious rebuke. The Tribunal says Māori were blindsided and that the Crown should apologise. That is not a technical ruling confined to Wellington legal corridors — it goes to trust in public institutions and to the relationship between the Crown and iwi that underpins New Zealand’s constitutional fabric. Education is where the future is formed. When changes to school governance or obligations are made without proper engagement with Māori, the consequences are practical and symbolic. Practical, because policies that lack buy-in from communities will be harder to implement in classrooms. Symbolic, because the Treaty promises a partnership that carries expectations about consultation, respect and shared decision-making. The Tribunal’s language — that the process “fell short of the standard of honour required” — makes clear that this was not merely a procedural misstep but a breach of an underlying duty. For ordinary New Zealanders, the immediate concern is how this affects schools and students. Parents want stable, effective education; teachers need clarity; communities seek respect for their mana and aspirations. When governance decisions are perceived as imposed rather than negotiated, anxiety and distrust can grow. That does not help learners. The solution is not merely an apology — although a sincere, timely acknowledgement from the Crown is required — but a commitment to fix the process and to rebuild relationships with Māori education partners. Rebuilding means more than returning to the status quo. The Tribunal’s finding is an opportunity to re-examine how central government consults and shares power on issues that deeply affect communities. It should prompt concrete steps: transparent engagement frameworks, meaningful consultation timelines, and co-design approaches that give iwi and Māori organisations real influence in shaping policy. That will take time and humility. It will also require the Crown to accept that treating consultation as a box-ticking exercise is incompatible with honouring Treaty obligations. Political leaders and education officials should resist the temptation to frame this as an elite legal dispute. The Tribunal’s message is both legal and moral: the partnership at the heart of the Treaty must be reflected in how government acts. Where mistakes were made, practical remedies should follow — including clear communication to schools, resources to support any transition, and mechanisms to ensure lessons are learned across public agencies. Ultimately, New Zealand’s schools should be places where all young people see their histories and identities respected and where communities are partners in decisions that affect their children. The Tribunal has flagged a failure in process; the Crown must now show that it can do better. An apology without action will ring hollow. To restore trust, the Crown needs to demonstrate through policy and practice that the standard of honour the Treaty demands is more than words — it is a way of governing.

Downunder Voices

Read Next

View latest
Three bodies found after Borr rig sinkingTrade & Logistics
Source: Splash247

30 October 2026

Three bodies found after Borr rig sinking

The bodies of three people have been located following the sinking of Borr Drilling’s Prospector 5 jackup offshore Gabon, with two others still missing as BW Energy suspends its 2026 capital expenditure guidance and reassesses its drilling plans. Borr said an underwater remotely operated vehicle located the bodies during ongoing search operations. Recovery efforts are …

Splash247Read original
Tanker targeted with hull-mounted explosives in HormuzTrade & Logistics
Source: Splash247

30 October 2026

Tanker targeted with hull-mounted explosives in Hormuz

A tanker has been set ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz after attackers aboard a small boat attached explosives directly to its hull, marking a worrying new tactic in the campaign against commercial shipping. The Panama-flagged, 159,092 dwt Louise 1 was attacked late yesterday, 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, according to maritime security …

Splash247Read original