More illegal miners resurface at mine in Stilfontein

Fifty-five more illegal miners have resurfaced from mine shafts in Stilfontein in North West since last Monday, bringing to 1,259 the number who have resurfaced since August 18.

“Of them, 871 are Mozambicans, 343 are Zimbabweans, 33 are Lesotho nationals, one Malawian and only 10 are South Africans,” North West community safety and transport management MEC Wessels Morweng said on Monday. 

Morweng was briefing the media on the efforts by authorities to force illegal miners out of the mine. 

He said one body was brought to the surface and a pathology process was under way to verify the victim's nationality and the time of his death. 

“It is worth mentioning that on Friday there was a note that was sent from underground saying that there are about 500 illegal miners down there and 300 of them are unwell. They are also requesting more food,” Morweng said. 

Morweng said the plan to resurface the illegal miners was divided into three phases. The first phase, which began on Tuesday and was completed on Wednesday, included clearing the boulders and concrete slabs at the entrance to the shaft.

“This is important to avoid them falling into the shaft and endangering the illegal miners underground.” 

He said the second phase, which was completed on Sunday, was to bring together machinery and state-of-the-art equipment including a camera to be lowered to assess the state of the shaft.

“This assessment is to gather information on the type of the methane gases down there, how harmful they are and to confirm the number of illegal miners and their state.”

He said once all the data had been analysed, authorities would begin with the third phase, which seeks to ensure that all illegal miners are resurfaced safely and in a humane manner.

Some of the people who resurfaced indicated they had been held against their will by other highly armed illegal miners underground, he said. 

He said on Friday, nine miners resurfaced from Margaret Shaft. Of these seven are Mozambicans, one from Zimbabwe and one is a South African. On Saturday, another 12 miners emerged from the shaft.

On Sunday, 14 resurfaced from Shaft 10.   

“This is the shaft the mining authorities had indicated that is flooded. Again, it is worth mentioning that these illegal miners were all wet when they came out proving that indeed there was a body of water down there.” 

On Monday 20 illegal miners resurfaced at Margaret Shaft, which they had been encouraged to use.

He said when they resurface, the illegal miners are taken through the law enforcement process and thereafter undocumented foreign nationals are processed by the home affairs department. 

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