Volunteers Initiate Rescue Efforts for Miners Trapped in South African Shaft

Dozens of volunteers have entered an abandoned gold mine in South Africa to assist what could be thousands of illegal miners who have been underground for a month. Because the miners deliberately entered the shaft in Stilfontein, desperate to retrieve gold or mineral residues, the authorities have adopted a firm stance, blocking food and water supplies. Earlier in the week, one government minister declared: “We are going to smoke them out.” The miners have declined to cooperate with the authorities, as some are undocumented migrants and fear being deported or arrested. Reports indicate that the miners have been consuming vinegar and toothpaste to survive while subterranean. It is feared that their health may be deteriorating, and they might be too weak and frail to exit the mine independently. The volunteers, organized into three groups of 50, report that it takes approximately an hour to extract one person. Lebogang Maiyane has been volunteering since the beginning of the week. He stated: “The government doesn’t care about the impact on the right to life of the illegal miners who remain beneath the surface – this is tantamount to murder”. Illegal miners are referred to as “zama zama” (“take a chance” in Zulu) and operate in abandoned mines across the mineral-rich country. Illegal mining costs the South African government hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales annually. Police are hesitant to enter the mine due to the possibility that some individuals underground may be armed. Busi Thabane, from Benchmarks Foundation, a charity that monitors corporations in South Africa, informed the BBC’s Newsday programme that some are part of criminal syndicates or “recruited” to be in one. Many South African mines have closed down in recent years, leading to job losses for workers. To survive, the miners and undocumented migrants descend underground to escape poverty and extract gold for sale on the black market. Some spend months underground; there is even a small economy of individuals selling food, cigarettes, and cooked meals to the miners. Local residents have pleaded with the authorities to assist the miners, but their requests have been refused. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated on Wednesday: “We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. We are not sending help to criminals. Criminals are not to be helped – they are to be persecuted [sic].” A father, whose two sons are underground, described the minister’s remarks as “horrible”. “These people are human beings. These people have families,” he told the BBC. Relatives of the miners have been protesting near the mine site, holding placards with the words: “Smoke ANC out” and “Down with Minister in Presidency”. Police Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the site on Friday, but as he attempted to speak to community members waiting for news of their loved ones in the shaft, he was chased away. Thandeka Tom, whose brother is in the mine, criticized the police for not sending help. She told the BBC: “They’re speaking from a point of privilege, there’s a problem of unemployment in the country and people are breaking the law as they try to put food on the table”. Without any access to supplies, conditions underground are reported to be dire. Ms Thabane asserted: “It is no longer about illegal miners – this is a humanitarian crisis.” On Thursday, community leader Thembile Botman informed the BBC that volunteers had used ropes and seat belts to pull a body out of the mine. He stated: “The stench of decomposing bodies has left the volunteers traumatised.” It is not clear how the person died. Although the authorities have been blocking food and water, they have temporarily allowed local residents to send some supplies down by rope. Mr Botman said they had been communicating with the miners by notes written on pieces of paper. Police have blocked off entrances and exits in an effort to compel the miners to come out. This is part of the Vala Umgodi, or “Close the Hole”, operation to curb illegal mining. Five miners were pulled out on Wednesday by rope, but they were frail and weak. Paramedics attended to them, and then they were taken into police custody. In the last week, 1,000 miners have emerged and been arrested. Police and the army are still at the scene waiting to detain those who are not in need of medical care after resurfacing. Ms Thabane commented: “It’s not as easy as the police make it seem – some of them are fearing for their lives.” Many miners spend months underground in unsafe conditions to provide for their families. Ms Thabane added: “For many of them it’s the only way they know how to put food on the table.” The South African Human Rights Commission says it will investigate the police for depriving the miners of food and water. It said there is concern that the government’s operation could have an impact on the right to life. Illegal mining is a lucrative business across many of South Africa’s mining towns. Since December last year, nearly 400 high-calibre firearms, thousands of bullets, uncut diamonds and money have been confiscated from illegal miners. This is part of an intensive police and military operation to stop the practice that has severe environmental implications.