In the Stilfontein area of North West, an estimated 4,500 illegal miners remain trapped in an abandoned mine shaft.
Story Summary:
- Over 4,500 illegal miners remain trapped underground in the Stilfontein area, requesting essential supplies.
- Operation Vala Umgodi has led to the arrest of over 1,000 illegal miners since the mission began.
- SAPS and SANDF continue to secure mine shafts, aiming to force trapped miners to emerge.
Stilfontein mine shaft latest news: Here’s what we can confirm
The miners, many reportedly undocumented immigrants from neighbouring countries, have been underground for nearly a week following intensified police operations aimed at dismantling illegal mining operations in the region.
According to SAPS and SANDF officials, the trapped miners are now pleading for essential supplies like water and food as their situation becomes dire.
The operation, known as Operation Vala Umgodi, began on 18 October 2024, as a coordinated effort to curb illicit mining activities across North West and other regions prone to illegal extraction.
Since the operation commenced, authorities have arrested over 1,000 miners, many of whom were attempting to escape while others emerged due to a lack of supplies.
In response to the ongoing efforts, Acting National Commissioner of SAPS, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, commented on the mission’s progress, saying,
“We are not backing down until all those illegal miners resurface and are arrested.”
Sibiya praised the operation’s method of blocking supply routes, which has proven effective in forcing miners to surrender as resources dwindle.
Law enforcement personnel have secured mining entrances and patrolled nearby areas to prevent community members from delivering aid to those still underground.
On Tuesday, 55 individuals apprehended on Saturday, 9 November 2024, appeared in court, though charges were later withdrawn, and immigration officials took them into custody for deportation.
Police cite the Immigration Act of 2002 as the basis for detaining and preparing deportation proceedings against undocumented foreign nationals.
