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More than 1,500 illegal miners have resurfaced in Stilfontein, with some still underground.
The miners had been underground for weeks in a 2km-deep shaft when police pounced on them at exit points during Operation Vala Umgodi, which is aimed at combating illegal mining. The police operation included stopping food supplies from being sent underground.
In December, Macua approached the Pretoria high court, seeking relief that would allow supplies to be sent to the suspected illegal miners. The court ordered several government officials, including the police and the mineral resources minister, to allow “community members, charitable organisations and interested parties” to provide humanitarian aid to the miners.
Supplies have reportedly dried up, and due to starvation some miners have reportedly resorted to eating the flesh of some of the miners believed to have died.
Mndebele alleged that the first proposal to help the miners was thwarted by a company that owns the mine, under the supervision of the police.
“At the time we had offered to lower a cellphone into the mine to record the conditions underground so we could all have a better assessment of the situation. However, this proposal did not materialise as the pulley system, which was needed to send down the camera, was [allegedly] destroyed shortly after we made the request.”
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