Several hundred illegal miners are believed to be trapped underground in an abandoned gold mine in North West province. The South African government has refused to provide aid, aiming to force the miners to come up on their own.
The exact number of miners underground remains uncertain, with conflicting reports. North West police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, told The Associated Press that three miners who surfaced estimated that as many as 4,000 miners could be trapped below. Other reports suggest the figure is in the hundreds. Over the past few weeks, more than 1,000 miners have reportedly exited the mine. According to Reuters, police have blocked supplies of food and water to the site.
Authorities reported that a decomposed body was brought to the surface on Thursday, as confirmed by spokesperson Athlenda Mathe. Pathologists are currently on site in Stilfontein to investigate.
The government has recently intensified its efforts against illegal mining, a long-standing issue in South Africa. Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, made it clear that no help would be provided to the illegal miners.
“We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out,” Ntshavheni stated on Wednesday.
Police and defense officials are expected to visit the mine on Friday, according to a police statement, to “reinforce the government’s commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion.”
The illegal mining of gold is said to cost South Africa hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost revenue, taxes, and royalties, according to industry sources cited by Reuters.
