Photo Credit:Reuters
Rescuers in South Africa continued their efforts on Tuesday, pulling both survivors and deceased individuals from a mine shaft where scores of illegal miners remain trapped at least 2 km (1.2 miles) underground. Since the rescuemission began on Monday, police report that 82 people have been brought to the surface alive, while 36 bodies have been recovered.
On Tuesday, dozens of emaciated miners - wearing tattered clothes and no shoes or socks - being escorted to a medical tent. Some of the body bags appeared so light that they were only carried by one person. The men have been underground since police operations targeting illicit mining started last year across the country.
More than 100 of the illegal miners, known locally as zama zamas, have reportedly died underground since the crackdown on their activities began at the mine some 145 km (90 miles) south-west of Johannesburg last year. The authorities however, have not confirmed this figure as it is yet to be verified by an official source.
Relatives and community members have been protesting at the mining site, armed with placards urging the authorities to rescue the miners. The mood among the relatives outside the mine turned sour when a convoy carrying Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and the police minister arrived at the site. The government has been criticised for taking a hard line on the illegal miners by blocking their food and water supplies. They also shut off all but one of the mine's exits.
Last week a court ordered the government to facilitate a rescue operation that had been long-delayed. The authorities have defended their robust response to the miners and in a press conference outside the mine Mantashe said the fight against illegal mining should be intensified. It's a crime against the economy, it's an attack on the economy, he said.
Sanco, a national umbrella body for NGOs, has been sending volunteers down the shaft with the rescue teams and advocating for the miners.
We had initially requested that we take out the dead bodies first, so that we avoid a situation where they decompose to an extent that their families cannot identify them anymore, because these are the dead bodies which have been there for quite some time, Sanco provincial spokesperson Mzukisi Jam said.He added that they are also prioritising getting out the very sick and have sent some food and water down the shaft.
During the press conference, Mantashe said that in 2024 the trade of illicit precious metal was estimated at $2.4bn (£2bn). Mantashe also attempted to talk to the protesters but was drowned out by angry speeches.
