Photo Credit:Associated Press
A humanitarian crisis has emerged at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, where rescue operations have recovered 78 bodies of illegal miners who were trapped approximately 2 kilometers beneath the surface. The incident has sparked intense controversy over the authorities' handling of the situation, with trade unions condemning what they describe as a "horrific" state response.
The rescue operation, which began on Monday following a court order, has so far brought 216 survivors to the surface. According to trade union leader Mametlwe Sebei, the tragedy escalated after police removed a pulley system in August that had been used to deliver essential supplies to the miners. Some desperate miners reportedly lost their lives attempting to navigate flooded tunnels in search of escape routes.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe defended the authorities' actions: "We've never blocked any shafts. We've never blocked anyone from coming out. Our mandate was to combat criminality and that is exactly what we've been doing." The police report that 1,576 miners managed to escape between August and the rescue operation's commencement, with 121 subsequently deported.
Mining Minister Gwede Mantashe justified the crackdown, stating, "It's a criminal activity. It's an attack on our economy by foreign nationals in the main." He cited illegal mining's $3 billion annual cost to South Africa's economy. However, the Democratic Alliance has called the operation "badly out of hand" and demands an independent inquiry.
The rescue effort continues with grim determination. A red cylindrical cage, capable of carrying about twelve people, makes the 45-minute round trip to extract survivors and recover bodies. Jessica Lawrence from Lawyers for Human Rights, present at the scene, described the sight of bodies being removed as "incredibly distressing."
Most of the miners were foreign nationals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, with only 21 South African citizens among them. Known locally as "zama zamas" - meaning "those who take a chance" in isiZulu - these unauthorized miners typically work in abandoned shafts under hazardous conditions, often controlled by criminal syndicates.
