Abandoned South African mine caused ‘catastrophe,’ rights group says

The closing of the Blyvooruitzicht gold mine in South Africa resulted in a humanitarian “catastrophe” and the government must protect the rights of residents who were neglected, according to an advocacy group. The mine, about 80 km (56 miles) west of Johannesburg, started production in 1942 and was operated by companies including DRDGold and Village Main Reef before going into liquidation in 2013. Lawyers for Human Rights, based in Johannesburg, gathered data from about 300 households in the area and found that 60% of them said they didn’t have enough to eat or the ability to support their children.