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Gallery: Bitter and broken by the mines

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In their new book, Broke and Broken: The Shameful Legacy of Gold Mining in SA, photographer Leon Sadiki and author Lucas Ledwaba feature a body of work from the Witwatersrand Gold Rush in the 1800s to the present, showing how the face of SA’s history was changed by the yellow metal.

Over 130 years, the mining industry has been home to thousands of men from SA and beyond who built this country’s economy with their blood, sweat and lives. These are men who left their homes as healthy, ambitious youngsters and returned broke, broken and bitter. They are victims of the shameful legacy of gold mining.

An example is Mokete Bokako, now suffering from silicosis, who worked in these mines for decades before being retrenched due to illness. He now lives alone – in poverty – in Roma, Lesotho

 Pictures: Leon Sadiki 

Mokete Bokako has a speech defect that was allegedly caused by complications from silicosis, an occupational lung disease that affects mine workers. He worked on SA’s gold mines for many years before he was retrenched. He now lives alone and in poverty in Roma, Lesotho

Mzawubalekwa Diya used to be a singer during his days on the mine. But now he can sing no more because of silcosis.
A shepherd with a flock of sheep near a Harmony Gold mine shaft in Welkom, Free State
Zwelindaba Mgidi was 23 when he left his village of KwaBhala near Flagstaff to work on the mines. He returned home in 2011. He was diagnosed with silicosis in 2008. He was 48
Alloys Mncedi Msuthu of Ramafole in the Eastern Cape suffers from silicosis. He was paid R76 000 after he was declared medically incapacitated
Jipeta Joseth Mtjati from Ha Mathabela in Lesotho started working in the mines in 1975. He was retrenched after he was diagnosed with silicosis

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