Seven illegal miners surface in Stilfontein, one with community’s help

The police have confirmed the surfacing of seven more suspected illegal miners at two shafts in Stilfontein in the North West on Friday morning.

One of them was brought up in a community-led rescue operation.

“Six illegal miners surfaced today [Friday] at No 10 shaft. The first two surfaced in the early hours. They are Zimbabweans. One of them was found in possession of gold-bearing material,” police spokesperson Brig Sabata Mokgwabone said.

“Still at shaft 10, four illegal miners resurfaced at about 8.30am. They include two Mozambicans, one Mosotho and a South African who was [also] found in possession of gold-bearing material.

“The latest information received is one illegal miner was pulled out at shaft 11. He is a Mozambican. This brings the number of illegal miners resurfaced today to seven.”

On Thursday North West community safety and transport MEC Wessels Morweng provided an update on the government's stalled rescue operation, yet to get under way a month after police minister Senzo Mchunu's formation of a task team.

Morweng said phase 3 of the operation would start as “soon as all internal processes have been completed”.

The first two phases included “clearing [of] boulders and concrete slabs around the shaft” and “lowering a camera to assess the safety of the shaft”.

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