Jonathan, a former illegal miner in South Africa, witnessed horrific abuse of underage miners, including sexual exploitation, during his six months underground in abandoned gold mines. Many of these children were trafficked from neighboring countries with false promises of employment, only to face violence and coercion from adult miners. Following a tragic incident where dozens were trapped, authorities rescued many miners, revealing that 31 were children from Mozambique, highlighting the urgent need to address the grim realities of illegal mining and child exploitation in the region.
