Ghosts of Gold: South Africa’s Search for ‘Tiger’ and the Human Cost of Illegal Mining

A manhunt with no ending and a trail of the forgotten underground

In the mountains of Lesotho, a mother waits in silence. It’s been eight years since she last saw her son—James Neo Tshoaeli, known by the alias “Tiger.” Across the border in South Africa, he’s now the central figure in a growing national mystery.

Tiger, 42, vanished months ago after allegedly escaping South African police custody. He was detained on suspicion of being a key figure in an illegal mining syndicate operating from a long-abandoned gold shaft near Stilfontein. That’s the same mine where 78 bodies were discovered earlier this year, underground and starved.

The search for Tiger has since turned into something larger—a sobering reminder of the human desperation buried beneath South Africa’s gold-rich soil.

Who is Tiger?

James Neo Tshoaeli, the man now portrayed as a ghost of the underworld, was once a young boy dreaming of wearing a police badge. “He was peaceful,” says his mother, Mampho Tshoaeli, standing outside her home in Mokhotlong, a remote district carved into Lesotho’s highlands. “He wanted to protect, not harm.”

Sourced: BBC

But life got in the way. After the death of his father, Tiger was forced to abandon his ambitions. Like many Basotho men before him, he crossed into South Africa in search of work—first as a miner, then, allegedly, as a zama zama: an illegal miner in the belly of disused shafts.

His brother, Thabiso, chose to stay behind to raise sheep. “When he left, we didn’t think he’d go this deep,” Thabiso says. “He just wanted to feed us.”

Stilfontein’s forgotten dead

The tragedy that brought Tiger’s name to light unfolded in the dark tunnels of Stilfontein, a once-booming mining town now hollowed by decline. Authorities say over 240 zama zamas were trapped underground when police launched an aggressive crackdown late last year. In a controversial move, officers cut off food, water, and medicine to force the miners out.

Seventy-eight didn’t make it.

One of the bodies belonged to Supang Khoaisanyane, a father of three from Bobete, Lesotho. “He went to earn money to finish our house,” his widow said, her voice barely audible. A single brick home stands beside their hut—its cement walls still missing a roof. His family never knew he’d gone underground again.

“He was no kingpin”

While South African police describe Tiger as one of the ring leaders of the syndicate, some of those who worked with him push back.

Ayanda, a miner who once shared cigarettes and scraps with Tiger, scoffs at the idea that Tiger was running the show. “He was a boss underground, but not the boss. More like a floor manager.”

Experts agree. Makhotla Sefuli, a mining researcher, explains: “Illegal mining is layered. Those at the top—the financiers, buyers, and political backers—never set foot in the shaft.”

Tiger, he says, may have had authority, but he was still in the mine. “The real power? It’s well above ground.”

A haunting silence from Lesotho

Back in Mokhotlong, Tiger’s family is left with questions. “I saw him in the news, not in person,” his mother says. “They say he escaped, but I don’t know if he’s even alive.”

Her voice trembles. “If he died down there, I’d want to bury him with dignity. If he’s alive, I want him to come home. I want to hug my son one more time.”

A nation’s reckoning

Tiger’s story may sound like an underground crime thriller—but at its heart lies something deeper: economic desperation, fractured families, and an illicit economy that continues to thrive in the shadows of South Africa’s mining past.

Lesotho’s unemployment sits at 30%, with youth unemployment nearing 50%. For many young men, the choice is stark: risk their lives below South Africa’s surface, or stay and watch their families starve.

On social media, opinions are split. Some call Tiger a villain, others a survivor. But all agree on one thing: the system is broken.

As police continue their manhunt for Tiger, there are bigger questions left unanswered. What justice awaits the families of the 78? What reforms are in place to address the root causes of zama zama mining?

And perhaps most haunting: how many more Tigers are out there—quietly vanishing beneath the earth, never to be seen again?

{Source: BBC}

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