South Africa: Police lay siege to 4,500 illegal miners trapped underground

South African police have surrounded a disused mine in Stilfontein, North West Province, where over 4,500 illegal miners remain trapped underground. The authorities have cut off supplies in a bid to force their surrender as part of Operation Vala Umgodi (“Close the Holes”), a crackdown on illegal mining launched in December 2023.

Since October 18, over 1,000 miners have emerged, driven by hunger and thirst, only to be arrested immediately. Police reported on November 2 that more than 200 had surrendered, “a consequence of hunger and dehydration.”

However, the situation escalated on November 14, when volunteers brought up the lifeless body of a miner from the depths.

Deputy Minister to the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has defended the hardline approach. “We will suffocate them,” she stated, rejecting any aid for those underground.

Limited supplies were allowed after reports of dire conditions and deaths, but authorities clarified this was only to enable the miners to surface.

Despite appeals for humanitarian intervention, Ntshavheni dismissed calls for further assistance, saying, “It’s not our job to recover the bodies of criminals.”

As tensions mount, the plight of the miners highlights the brutal reality of South Africa’s fight against illegal mining.