South African Police Affirm Intent to Arrest Miners Amid Ongoing Standoff

Authorities in South Africa have stated their intention to continue apprehending any unauthorized miners who surface from a defunct gold mine, where hundreds, potentially thousands, of individuals are reportedly concealed. This declaration follows a judicial directive stipulating that the mine shaft in Stilfontein, situated approximately 90 miles (145km) south-west of Johannesburg, must not be obstructed. Emergency response teams have been present at the location for several days. Law enforcement officers had previously prevented provisions of food and water from reaching the mine, a tactic described by one government official as an effort to “smoke them out.” The miners, who have remained underground for a month, have thus far declined to exit the mine due to apprehension of arrest. Among this group are undocumented foreign nationals who also fear deportation. The government’s stringent approach has drawn considerable criticism from some South Africans. In recent days, however, police have permitted volunteers to descend into the mine to visit the miners, with some carrying small quantities of food and water. On Saturday, a court in Pretoria issued an order mandating that the mine “shall be unblocked and may not be blocked by any person or institution whether government or private.” The ruling further stipulated that any individual within the mine must be allowed to leave, and that “no non-emergency personnel may enter the mine shaft.” Three miners emerged on Saturday; one was transported to a hospital for medical attention, while the other two were taken into custody. Certain reports indicate that the miners had resorted to consuming vinegar and toothpaste for survival. Volunteers reported retrieving a body from the mine on Thursday. Police have engaged experts to evaluate the structural integrity of the mine shafts, a step intended to inform a decision regarding a potential forced evacuation, as reported by the AFP news agency. Yasmin Omar, an attorney involved in initiating the court proceedings, informed the state broadcaster SABC that the judgment constituted a temporary order “that will at least allow us to get emergency relief to the people [who] need it.” She confirmed that a comprehensive hearing on the matter is scheduled for Tuesday. “These people underground are dying,” Ms. Omar asserted, adding that the ruling obligates officials to “must do all that is reasonable to give medical care to the people who are underground.” In a public statement, the South African Police Service (SAPS) expressed approval of the court order, emphasizing that it does not preclude officers from making arrests. The statement affirmed: “All those who resurface will continue to be assessed by emergency medical personnel on site, as has been the case. Those that are in a good health will be processed and detained. Those that require further medical care will be taken to hospital under police guard.” The SAPS further noted that as of 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT) on Saturday, three miners had surfaced. Over 1,000 miners have previously emerged and subsequently been arrested. South Africa is recognized as a nation rich in mineral resources. Official estimates indicate that it possesses nearly 30% of the world’s gold deposits and 88% of all platinum deposits. However, numerous mines have ceased operations in recent years, leading to job losses for miners. This situation has contributed to the growth of a black market that incurs costs of hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the South African government. Despite gold retaining its value as a commodity, increasing operational costs—aggravated by power outages and deeper ore bodies—have rendered the vast majority of mines unprofitable, according to the Minerals Council of South Africa, an industry organization. To cope with impoverished conditions, miners and undocumented migrants are increasingly entering abandoned mines to extract remaining deposits. Some remain underground for months, and illegal mining has fostered a localized economy supplying food and cigarettes to these miners. Nevertheless, authorities are determined to halt this practice. Illegal miners are sometimes recruited by criminal organizations and may be armed. The SAPS had previously indicated that individuals from Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe were among those who had emerged from the Stilfontein mine. The police force has initiated a nationwide campaign aimed at combating illicit mining and associated criminal activities. On November 3, it was reported that at least 565 individuals had surfaced from a mine in Orkney, located south-west of Johannesburg. Conversely, the South African Human Rights Commission announced on Friday that it has launched an inquiry into the SAPS’s handling of the Stilfontein mine incident, following allegations that the blockade might have violated the miners’ right to life.