The South African government has confirmed it will not offer assistance to an estimated 4,000 illegal miners trapped underground in a decommissioned mine in the North West province. The miners, who are believed to be located in a shaft in Stilfontein, have been cut off from essential supplies as part of a nationwide effort to combat illegal mining activities.
The miners, who have reportedly been without food, water, and other necessities since the police sealed off their supply routes, are victims of an ongoing operation, Vala Umgodi. This operation is designed to disrupt illegal mining by forcing miners to surface, where they can be arrested. However, the dire situation underground has raised widespread concerns, as the miners remain trapped with no immediate relief in sight.
Athlenda Mathe, a spokesperson for the national police, explained that after consultations with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, it was decided that no government personnel, including police officers or military officials, would enter the mine due to safety risks. While government forces have withdrawn from rescue operations, some local community members have taken it upon themselves to assist, though they must sign indemnity forms acknowledging the inherent dangers of the task.
Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone reported that based on the testimonies of those who recently helped bring three miners to the surface, as many as 4,000 miners could still be trapped underground. Official estimates from the police are yet to be released, but the scale of the situation is clear. In recent weeks, over 1,000 miners have emerged from various abandoned mines across the province, many in poor health after weeks of survival without proper provisions.
As police continue to guard the area around the mine, many of the miners who have surfaced are immediately apprehended. Illegal mining remains a significant issue in South Africa’s former gold-mining regions, with miners often entering closed shafts in search of remaining deposits. These operations are typically controlled by large criminal syndicates, and many miners come from neighboring countries, exacerbating tensions with local communities. Reports of rising crime—including theft, assault, and sexual violence—have fueled animosity, and armed conflicts between rival mining groups often lead to violent confrontations, sometimes resulting in fatalities.
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by South African authorities in curbing illegal mining and its associated dangers, both for miners and local communities.
