Fear of arrest: thousands of illegal miners have been hiding in gold mines for weeks
Johannesburg (South Africa) - An estimated 4000 illegal miners in South Africa are refusing to come out of the shaft of an abandoned gold mine for fear of arrest. The miners have been underground for about four weeks - ever since the police surrounded the exits of the mine in the village of Stilfontein in the North West Province.
Relatives who normally bring the miners food and drink into the shaft have since been denied access. As soon as they come to the surface, the illegal workers will be arrested, said police spokesman Sabata Mokgwabone.
The government has refused to send rescue teams into the shafts, which have been closed for a long time, for security reasons. A minister in the president's office, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said during a press conference that she would not risk the lives of rescuers to help criminals.
"It is important to emphasize that the illegal miners are not stuck. They can come to the surface at any time if they want to," said Mokgwabone. In the past four weeks, 1,000 illegal miners have already been arrested, the police spokesman said.
According to Mokgwabone, a volunteer recently climbed into the shaft. "He estimates that there are about 4000 illegal miners underground and it is obvious that some of them are not in good health," said Mokgwabone. The volunteer also reported seeing dead bodies.
Foreigners search for gold without permission
The harsh actions of the police came under public criticism this week.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) now wants to investigate the legality of the police's actions. They want to find ways to "act appropriately" in order to come to a "safe and lawful conclusion", the police and defense ministries said in a joint statement.
South Africa has been fighting illegal mining for decades without success. Undocumented foreigners from neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Mozambique in particular are entering abandoned mines without permission in the hope of finding gold.
Surrounding communities complain of an increased security risk and environmental damage due to the illegal activities.