Community Heroes Rescue Five Illegal Miners in Stilfontein; Thousands Still Trapped Underground
Image Source: South African Government News Agency
Late Wednesday afternoon in Stilfontein, North West, five suspected illegal miners were rescued from a mine shaft. Approximately 50 local residents volunteered to help, as the miners were too weak to ascend due to a lack of food and water.
The community members used ropes to pull the miners to safety. These miners have reportedly been confined below ground for several months.
The rescue operation was dangerous, with the 50 volunteers signing indemnity forms before beginning the rescue while others watched from a distance. Those rescued received medical attention.
Residents have appealed to the government for assistance. The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) criticized the government’s lack of action to rescue other trapped illegal miners in Orkney and Stilfontein, North West.
The illegal miners became trapped after the police and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) started Operation Vala Mgodi last month. Local estimates indicate about 4,500 illegal mine workers remain trapped underground.
Earlier today, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced that the government would not provide assistance to the stranded illegal miners. MACUA National Coordinator Meshack Mbangula stressed the importance of rescuing those trapped, stating, “Firstly, it’s very important that we assist in taking out those people. We must save the lives of those underground, and then other processes can follow. It is strange for the government not to act to save people out there because what led them underground is poverty and unemployment. As long as there is poverty, people will continue to go down there to put bread on the table.”
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