Human rights group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) has submitted shocking claims to South Africa’s Constitutional Court regarding the plight of illegal miners trapped at Buffelsfontein mine in Stilfontein, North West.
The submission alleges that some miners, desperate to survive, have resorted to cannibalism, feeding on the corpses of their deceased colleagues.
Macua’s submission follows the Pretoria High Court’s dismissal of the group’s earlier attempt to compel the government to rescue and provide relief to the miners. The group claims that hundreds of miners remain underground, facing starvation and death, with dire reports indicating deteriorating conditions.
“The latest reports from those trapped underground indicate the situation has deteriorated further to the point that the some of the trapped miners have resorted to sustaining themselves with the flesh of those who have torturously tried to climb to [the] surface and eventually fell to their death, or who have succumbed to starvation. Reports indicate more bodies remain underground,” the submission stated.
The South African Police Service (SAPS), along with the joint operations team NatJoints, has dismissed claims that the miners are trapped. Authorities assert that exit points have been established to allow those underground to surface safely and face legal processes.
“The notion that miners remain trapped solely due to police action is misleading.
“SAPS has implemented measures to secure the area and prevent further illegal activities, but designated exit points have been established to allow miners to surface safely and face due legal processes. The miners possess the means to exit independently as demonstrated by those who have surfaced.
“Government’s stance is to uphold the rule of law. Thus, while immediate aid is not provided to facilitate illegal activities, measures are in place to ensure the safety and humane treatment of individuals who choose to come above ground,” said the joint operations team set up to handle the crisis (NatJoints) on Sunday.
In November, police and soldiers began blocking supplies of food, water, and other necessities to the illegal miners, intensifying efforts to curb the unlawful mining activities.
Macua, supported by Lawyers for Human Rights, maintains that the state’s inaction constitutes a breach of its legal mandate. The organisation insists that the miners are effectively “sentenced to death” due to a misinterpretation of the law by the authorities.
“This deliberate misinterpretation by SAPS speaks to a state of lawlessness (or deliberate undermining of the law by the people who should uphold the law) in which trapped miners have been found guilty and sentenced to death by police, without any recourse to the constitutional principles which should underpin their actions,” the group said.
“Macua remains determined to ensure the right to life of the trapped miners is upheld and responsible parties be held accountable for their actions that have contributed to the gross violation of the human rights of the trapped miners,” the group said.
The Buffelsfontein mine, abandoned and up to 2km deep, has become a hotspot for illegal mining activities. The miners, often referred to as “zama-zamas”, have faced increasing pressure from police operations that began in August.
While some miners have managed to exit the mine, others remain underground, relying on limited supplies from surface connections. Several tunnels have been blocked, exacerbating their plight.
