Between Empowerment and Deceit: Migration from Zimbabwe and Work in Gold Mining Activities in South Africa

In my paper, I will explore the ways how migration from Zimbabwe to work in gold mines in South Africa can bring both empowerment in relation to the regions and groupings that the migrants leave in Zimbabwe, but also can lead to diverse forms of exploitation and violence in South Africa. By drawing on my own autobiographical experiences as a worker in the gold mines between 2013 and 2014 and in interviews I conducted with other young men in similar situations, I will discuss how different discourses on the criminalization of the activity of the so-called zama-zama migrants enhances their chances of exploitation instead of shedding light into their very harsh life circumstances and work conditions. Moreover, I will rely on my own experiences to discuss the potentials of using autobiographical knowledge to explore the empirical material generated during fieldwork. I will demonstrate how transnational (family) networks can act as a source of empowerment but also pressure in relation to state institutions in South Africa that criminalize the presence of zama-zama in the country.