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In a harrowing turn of events, more than 50 bodies were discovered at an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, sparking a large-scale government rescue operation. The operation, which began this past Monday, was initiated after a High Court ruling that mandated the extraction of illegal miners, commonly known as 'zama zamas', from the dangerous, unregulated Shaft 11 of Buffelsfontein gold mine.
Over the course of two days, rescue teams worked tirelessly to recover 51 deceased individuals and bring over 100 miners safely to the surface. The miners, trapped and operating illegally within the confines of the defunct mining shaft, presented a significant challenge given the dangerous conditions and lack of formal mining protocols.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a police spokesperson, detailed the breadth of the operation, noting that along with the bodies retrieved, 106 miners were rescued alive and subsequently arrested on charges of illegal mining. Mathe also underlined that the staggering operation has seen 1,576 illegal miners arrested since preliminary raids began in December 2023.
The majority of those arrested are foreign nationals, primarily from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and a few from South Africa and other African nations. This underpins a larger socio-economic issue concerning migration and illegal employment in life-threatening industries such as unregulated gold mining.
As operations resume, the focus remains on the safety of the rescue teams and ensuring that all remaining miners are brought to the surface. Mathe revealed that confiscated items in these raids included significant quantities of gold-bearing material, refined gold, alongside dangerous explosives and firearms, emphasizing the volatile nature of illegal mining encampments.
The ongoing operation, funded by the government and estimated to cost around R12 million, highlights a significant effort to clamp down on illegal mining activities that not only threaten lives but also undermine the country's economic stability. The effort also involves reparative measures, including the deportation of 121 illegal miners and legal actions against those found guilty, with the courts handing down suspended sentences and fines aimed at deterring further illegal activities.
As the community of Stilfontein and the nation watch closely, this operation serves as a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who, driven by desperation, venture into the abyss of abandoned mines seeking fortunes.