At times of economic and political turmoil, investors buy gold since it is considered a safe investment.
And during the current recession, gold has lived up to its reputation. Its price peaked at more than a thousand dollars an ounce.
But for those at the bottom of the gold industry ladder, there is little reward.
Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Interview with Newton Kanhema of the Zimbabwe Independence Assistance Network talks about Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's U.S. visit.