More than 1400 illegal miners have emerged from the depths of abandoned mineshafts in the Stilfontein region of the North West province, South Africa, as a response to increased police operations aimed at curbing the menace.
Colonel Adele Myburgh, a spokesperson for the South African Police in the province, told local media that since the start of November, over 1,420 illegal miners have resurfaced from various disused shafts.
“By Friday, we had counted a staggering total of 1,414 illegal miners who had come out from the depths of multiple abandoned shafts, notably including the notorious Margaret mine shaft in Stilfontein. Tragically, at Buffelsfontein number 11 Shaft, eight bodies were discovered.”
“On Saturday morning, we saw six more illicit miners emerge from the Margaret shaft, all identified as Mozambican nationals, bringing the total number of miners resurfaced to 1,420.” She added.
The police have intensified their operations to confront the illegal mining issue, resulting in a continuous flow of miners exiting the perilous underground passages. This includes the contentious Shaft 11, where illegal miners have found themselves in a tense standoff with law enforcement forces that has dragged on for over a month.
South African authorities had previously accused these miners of unlawfully infiltrating the mine tunnels in search of gold, yet many refused to emerge, gripped by the fear of arrest. However, due to worsening health conditions faced underground, many miners have chosen to return to the surface. The exact number of those still trapped beneath remains uncertain.
In a race against time, emergency responders worked tirelessly last week to rescue those still confined to the hazardous underground following the recovery of several bodies from the mine shafts. Survivors who managed to escape reported harrowing tales of being coerced into mining operations by heavily armed groups, often referred to as “zama zamas,” a Zulu term meaning “take a chance.”
These gangs maintained a firm grip over the miners, preventing them from leaving the treacherous depths even as conditions continued to deteriorate.
Amid these alarming circumstances, South Africa is resolute in its commitment to combat illegal mining, which poses not only significant risks to the lives of the miners involved but also inflicts lasting damage on the environment.
In November of the previous year, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of 3,300 personnel from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to bolster police efforts in tackling this pressing issue.
