Phikwe: A town staring into the deep

The mine is home to 4,000 employees who now face the harsh reality of being released into an economy that is already battling with high levels of unemployment. To a national audience, the story has mainly focused on the broader players in the mine’s looming closure. It is easy to get lost in the tumult and miss the fact that life as it is known for the men and women of BCL is about to change, most likely for the worst.

Stanley Kemoitse is now a ‘former underground miner at Shaft 2’. This is a man whose life changed for the better when he started working for BCL. A man whose story is similar to so many others in his position. He is now afraid of what the future holds for him and the family he supports.