No illegal miner will remain underground, Mchunu warns
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said on Monday that law enforcement will continue its clampdown on illegal mining activities across the country.
This comes after the High Court in Pretoria dismissed the application for emergency humanitarian relief for suspected illegal miners in Stillfontein, North West.
Scores of miners remain underground at a disused mine shaft, with more than a dozen miners resurfacing on Sunday.
The non-governmental organisation Society for the Protection of Our Constitution approached the court on an urgent basis last week to challenge the constitutionality of police action during anti-illicit mining operations.
However, speaking at the release of the latest crime statistics on Monday, Mchunu said illegal mining remains a significant threat to the economy and public safety.
"We are satisfied that our actions in Stilfontein are all in keeping with the constitution and the laws of the republic. No illegal miner will remain underground.”
Mchunu defended the police action, saying the officers were merely doing their jobs.
"We note and welcome the judgment. We do understand that in South Africa, lack of jobs and poverty sometimes drive people to do things that otherwise, in normal circumstances, they wouldn't have done.
"We also know that there are two non-negotiable provisions of our constitution: the right to life and the right to dignity.
"And therefore, when we perform our duties under Operation Vula Umgodi, we are aware and cognisant of these rights.
"But we venture into finding our way to uphold the law under those circumstances, and limited as they may be," he added.
ALSO READ:
