Time to legalise zama zama mining?

There is probably no better example of how a hard "take no prisoners" strategy works when trying to tackle a grave social ill than the global "war on drugs".

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Not only has it manifestly not been won, but the problem is getting worse...and in more countries.

So, while we hear and appreciate the concerns and attitude of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe - who wants a harder crackdown on illegal miners - we worry about that for two reasons.

Firstly, do our law enforcement agencies have the capacity - or even the will - to carry out such work? Secondly, and more importantly, won't this end up like the war on drugs?