The situation remains tense at an abandoned mine shaft in Stilfontein, North West, where hundreds of illegal miners are still trapped underground after law enforcement agencies allegedly cut off their supply lines. The government has decided not to send aid due to the presence of toxic and hazardous gases, making rescue efforts too dangerous.
On Thursday, 14 November 2024, scores of community members, mostly men, continued with efforts to rescue and retrieve those trapped underground. By midday, a decomposed body was brought to the surface with the help of about 30 locals.
National SAPS spokesperson Althenda Mathe said the circumstances were under investigation and an inquest docket had been opened.
A volunteer emerges from the depths of the VMR mine in Stilfontein, having delivered food supplies to zama zamas after law enforcement agencies allegedly cut off their supply lines. (Photo: Supplied)
While there have been growing calls for the government, particularly the police, to come to the rescue of the miners, Mathe said this would not be the case.
“I have indicated numerous times that as a responsible government, we are not going to allow our men and women in blue to go down there.”
The decision was taken after consultation with the mining company and the Department of Mineral Resources.
“They are telling us that it is unsafe. It is inhumane to allow people to go down there.”
“Firstly, there are hazardous gases that are flowing there, there is a high risk of loss of life, and according to our intelligence, these illegal miners may be heavily armed,” Mathe told journalists.
Police have said more than 1,000 miners had resurfaced after what has been reported as a campaign to cut off food and water supplies to force the illegal miners to the surface and arrest them. SAPS, however, has denied it cut off supplies to the mine shaft.
Earlier this month, at least 565 illegal gold miners were arrested in Orkney, about 26km from Stilfontein, after police cut off their food and water supplies, forcing them to surface.
In a statement at the time, police described the strategy as an “act of stamping the authority of the state”.
Police officers stand watchfully at a disused mine in Stilfontein, observing as people try to aid illegal miners trapped underground. (Photo: Supplied)
Mathe denied that the same tactic had been used in the present operation and on Thursday, two vans loaded with food, water and other supplies were seen heading towards the mine shaft, where locals were actively helping to retrieve the miners trapped underground.
A community volunteer reportedly went down the mine shaft on Tuesday and estimated that more than 4,000 zama zamas were trapped. Mathe, however, said intelligence officers estimated there were hundreds rather than thousands of miners still underground.
Read more: ‘We will smoke them out’ – Ntshavheni talks tough amid scepticism over number of zama zamas trapped underground
Mobilising for miners
One resident, Mojalefa Kotane, has for most of the week been spending time at the shaft and is one of the volunteers who have been at the forefront of the mercy mission.
Asked what had driven him to be part of a seemingly dangerous initiative, he responded: “These are our people, we can’t let them die just like that, they are not animals.”
Kotane disputed claims that most of those underground were undocumented foreign nationals. He too has participated in some of the mining activities taking place to provide for his family.
“It is not true that these are all illegal miners, some of these people are just like you and I, they are South Africans who are unemployed, and want to feed their families.
“I don’t understand why people must get arrested because this mine has been closed. Why are they concerned all of a sudden because this is how we have been making a living?” an angry Kotane said.
While law enforcement agencies initially cut supplies of food and water to the underground miners, SAPS has allowed volunteers who sign indemnity forms to help the miners.
A volunteer who has delivered food supplies to the Stilfontein illegal miners. (Photo: Supplied)
Another resident, Katlego Moyo, echoed Kotane’s sentiments, further slamming the government’s handling of the debacle.
“The government has been really cruel so far. Even prisoners, I mean the bad people who kill other people, do get provided with food and water. They are not left to die on their own.”
The miners underground are willing to come up, according to Moyo, but require help from the government.
“It’s not that they don’t want to come up. They do not have power. They are weak and it is dark down there,” he said.
Mathe, however, said there was no truth to the miners being trapped. Government officials had tried several means to help them resurface. The police have emphasised, however, that they will arrest the miners if they do.
‘Somebody’s son’
Zinzi Thom spent hours trying for answers from police officers at the scene, to no avail. Her brother, Tumelo, is among those believed to have been underground since last week.
Thom said her family was initially not alarmed by Tumelo’s disappearance as he was sometimes gone for weeks. However, they panicked on Thursday when the decomposed body of a miner was brought up, using a rope.
“I have been asking myself if it is my brother or what. I am very sad, I am drained. Even if it is not my brother, it is still somebody’s son. It is still a human being.”
Thom lamented the police’s handling of the crisis.
“I am not happy with how they have handled this crisis. For instance, when the body was retrieved, the police refused for me to go and identify. They didn’t want to touch nor look at the body. They just vanished into thin air. When somebody is [brought out] alive, they all go to them and search [their possessions for gold]. [What] they care about is what these people are carrying and arresting them, but not the dead bodies,” she said.
Another family member, Patricia Sigawu, sat under a tree about a kilometre from the police and media. She chased the media away and asked for privacy as she prayed for the return of her husband, who is in the country illegally.
“It is a difficult time, I just want to be alone and pray. Talking to the media or police will just get me into trouble,” she told Daily Maverick.
Overall commander Colonel Kaizer Modiba said the mine was in the process of being sold. Daily Maverick was not able to establish who owned the mine.
Some community members told Daily Maverick that some of the miners had been brought to work and kept underground against their will. Mathe said this had been brought to the attention of the police and was an element they were investigating.
“Investigations are still under way on whether or not these illegal miners are kept against their will and … were brought here under false pretences of jobs and forced into performing mining illegal mining activity. That is an aspect that is still under investigation, but we do stand firm in that we are not backing down. We call on the people of South Africa to support us and our soldiers in this operation,” she said.
Read more: Hundreds of illegal miners arrested after underground food and water supplies cut
‘Smoke them out’
Mathe’s remarks are in line with those echoed by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who said no help would be sent to criminals.
“We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. We are not sending help to criminals. Criminals are not to be helped, criminals are to be persecuted.”
“We didn't send them there, and they didn’t go down there with good intentions for the republic, so we can’t help them,” Ntshavheni said.
The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) is among those who lamented Ntshaveni’s remarks.
“We are appalled by the minister’s blatant disregard for human life and contempt for black lives, worthy of colonial and apartheid ministers and not elected representatives of the black majority democratic government elevated to power by [the] struggle for human dignity, equality and justice. Her words reveal a disturbing lack of empathy and a misguided prioritisation of punishment over rescue efforts,” Giwusa said.
Mathe said no miner would be exempt; they would all face criminal charges.
“We are not going to celebrate crime. We are not going to allow crime to thrive under our watch. We have given them ample time to come up, to resurface to ensure that we uphold and enforce the law accordingly.
“We are doing what we are supposed to do, and that is to prevent and combat criminality, so we are not going to negotiate with criminals. We are not going to back down on our efforts to stamp the authority of the state, this operation will continue,” she said.
More government officials, including police minister Senzo Mchunu, are expected to visit the scene on Friday, 15 November, to “reinforce the government’s commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion”. DM