Court rejects demand for disaster relief for illegal miners
The South African Police Service has welcomed a ruling by the High Court in Pretoria dismissing an application by the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution.
The application asked the court to compel the police to provide aid and rescue alleged illegal miners in Stilfontein, North West.
The police maintain no miners are trapped, with over one-thousand-200 recently resurfacing.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe says limited supplies, such as water and porridge, have been sent underground, and medical staff are on standby.
The SAPS has always maintained that it has never been in violation of any constitutional right to life and dignity. The SAPS has never blocked any shaft nor blocked any illegal miner from exiting through any disused mine shaft, as is evident with the 1,239 illegal miners who have resurfaced in the past few weeks.
“The SAPS remains adamant that there is no illegal miner that is trapped underground and that they simply refuse to resurface because they are avoiding arrest. This is evident with the 14 illegal miners who resurfaced last night at shaft 10, which is linked to shaft 11.”
Mathe added that static deployments remain in place “to stamp the authority and for the rule of law to be upheld”.
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