South African authorities are currently engaged in a tense standoff with up to 4,000 illegal miners who are trapped underground in an abandoned mine in the North West province. The miners, known as zama-zamas, have been cut off from their food and water supplies as part of a police operation to clear the mine and arrest them. At least 1,000 miners have already surfaced, with many reported to be weak, hungry, and sickly.
Government officials have stated that they will not provide assistance to the illegal miners as they are engaged in criminal activity. The situation has raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the trapped miners, with a decomposed body being recovered from the mine on Thursday.
Illegal mining is a longstanding issue in South Africa, with miners entering closed shafts to search for remaining deposits. The presence of zama-zamas has created tensions with nearby communities, who allege that the illegal miners engage in crimes such as robberies and rape.
President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed thousands of soldiers last year to combat illegal mining, and over 13,000 suspects have been arrested since December 2023. The Minerals Council South Africa estimates that illegal mining costs the country’s economy billions of rand each year in lost income and taxes.
Authorities are continuing their efforts to clear the abandoned mine and apprehend the illegal miners, with senior police and defense officials expected to visit the area in support of the operation. Mining security analysts have questioned the police estimate of the number of miners underground, suggesting that about 2,000 may be more realistic.
Source
Photo credit www.euronews.com
