Central SA
Hundreds of illegal miners face dire Christmas underground in Stilfontein─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 09:55 Wed, 25 Dec 2024
Hundreds of illegal miners, or zama zamas, will spend Christmas in appalling conditions underground in Stilfontein after an urgent court application to compel authorities to intervene was dismissed.
The application was brought by Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), whose executive director, Christopher Rutledge, expressed profound disappointment at the court’s ruling delivered on Tuesday (24/12).
"The court acknowledged that the miners are trapped but refused to hold the state accountable or compel the police to extract them,” Rutledge said. “This interpretation fails to uphold the constitutional right to life, which is sacrosanct. Police, as custodians of law and order, are obligated to protect this right.”
Rutledge revealed alarming reports from the miners, including claims of cannibalism as they struggle to survive underground. “People are dying in numbers, and in their desperation, some miners have resorted to feeding on the remains of the dead. It is a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored.”
A translated letter from miners shared on social media highlighted the worsening situation. The writer(s) called Shaft 10 as a death trap, where many perish attempting to climb out, only to fall to their deaths. Bodies remain underground, compounding the miners’ despair. “We are pleading for assistance. Many are sick, weak, and dying. Those who attempt to escape face severe risks,“ the letter read.
The zama zamas who previously surfaced had alleged underground “bosses” control food supplies and restrict movement, effectively holding miners hostage.
“The delay in state intervention costs lives daily. Miners are trapped at depths of (up to) 2.6km, with no viable means of escape. The conditions are appalling, and every day without action worsens the crisis.”
National Police Commissioner Gen. Fannie Masemola had raised concerns about the unrestricted flow of supplies underground, warning that it might encourage miners to prolong their stay, possibly for up to a year.
Meanwhile, Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, dismissed allegations of human rights violations in the crackdown on illegal mining operations, maintaining that the government’s priority remains enforcing the law and ensuring public safety.
