‘More trapped in other shafts’ as Stilfontein deaths mount

Over 50 bodies have been retrieved from the abandoned shaft 11 at the Buffelsfontein gold mine in the North West. In addition, nearly a dozen more corpses were retrieved by community volunteers since November.

Nearly 2,000 suspected illegal miners have been arrested since the police’s anti-illicit mining operation, Vala Umgodi, began in the area in August last year.

The government has maintained that the delay in implementing the third and final phase of the rescue operation was due to a lack of funding.

Community leader Levy Pholoso said they raised the alarm about the trapped miners in the first week of October.

“Our message was very clear that we support operation Vala Umgodi, but they were supposed to have resurfaced all the people who were underground before they could come and close the abandoned mine. We had several meetings with them. If they had listened to us, by now, I think we were supposed to have saved a lot of people.”

Earlier this month, a letter from the miners stated that there were at least 109 bodies at shaft 11.

On Monday, the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) shared a video allegedly sent by the miners to corroborate their claims.  

Pholoso said they received reports that there are other bodies of miners who tried to resurface from other shafts that must be retrieved.

“Even yesterday, we received information that there are a lot of dead bodies in shaft 10. When we are done with the rescue operation on this side, we will try to engage with the South African Police Service, the Department of Minerals and Energy, because we believe that there are still other people trapped in other shafts.”

READ MORE: Stilfontein: Letter puts underground body count at 109

According to law enforcement, since August 2024, a total of 1,540 illegal miners remain in police custody, while 121 have already been deported, including 80 Mozambicans, 30 Basotho nationals, 10 Zimbabweans, and 1 Malawian.

Additionally, 46 individuals have been convicted of illegal mining, trespassing, and violating the Immigration Act.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe added that since the beginning of operations in Stilfontein (December 2024), authorities have seized over 640 kg of gold-bearing material, 6.2 kg of refined gold, explosives, firearms, and cash amounting to R52.49 million.

MINISTERS ACCUSED OF ‘MASS MURDER’

On Tuesday, the Ministries of Police and Mineral Resources and Energy visited the mine area.

Addressing community members who were demonstrating on the day, Giwusa’s leader Mametlwe Sebei accused the government of overseeing the mass killing of the illegal miners and threatened to lay a complaint of mass murder against the ministers.

“These ministers are here at the scene of their crime. Hundreds of miners have died underground in what can only be a culmination of their treacherous policies, as well as the cruel logic of the police operation that was planned and executed at the approval of the highest echelon of the state, including the cabinet.”

Like Pholoso, Sebei accused authorities of ignoring their assertion that the miners were trapped without an easy alternate exit and not refusing to come up as the police had claimed.

“Shaft 10 is not an option, Margaret shaft is in no way connected with this shaft, and that these miners required a pulley system where the community are able to pull them up with a rope. Without that, and without the supply of food and water, these miners are going to die.”

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu tried to leave during Sebei’s address, prompting angry community members to hurl insults.

“We’re not here for you. If you’re preparing for a charge, go on, we’re leaving you here,” Mchunu told Sebei.

Community members accused the ministers of running away from them, calling them “murderers”.

By lunchtime on Wednesday, 22 suspected illegal miners had been hoisted to the surface.

ALSO READ: