black market

He said he was able to keep some gold, which he sells on the black market to top up his income.

But many mines have closed down in recent years and miners have been laid off, contributing to a black market that costs the South African government hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

"A black market has sprung up for infant milk, and it is one of the most commonly shoplifted items," he said.

Jewels from the original, which was set with 650 diamonds and weighed around 2,800 carats, were sold piecemeal on the black market.

To survive, the miners and undocumented migrants go beneath the surface to escape poverty and dig up gold to sell it on the black market.