By REGINALD KANYANE
25 November 2024- Fourteen illegal miners have resurfaced at shaft 10, which is linked to shaft 11 at Buffelsfontein in Stilfontein. It is alleged that 14 illegal miners who resurfaced last night, are all Mozambicans and are in detention.
The national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe alleged that this proves that these illegal miners are not trapped. Mathe said they just refuse to resurface.
“They chose to come out late at night thinking the police are no longer standing static. Others ran back into the shaft as soon as they noticed the police presence. The media can go to the scene for videos and pictures.
“The operations continue and amongst these illegal miners, is a boy (14). They have confirmed what police have always been saying, that firstly there is no one trapped, and that there are 10 heavily armed Basotho nationals who are guarding them and making them dig for gold,” she said.
Mathe further said these illegal miners claimed that the food and water that was taken down was all confiscated by these Basotho guards and none of them were allowed to eat or drink. She added that they are instead forced to work for the food and water.
Meanwhile, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the North West lambasted the Minister of Department of Minerals Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe, who allegedly refused to visit the mine shaft and referred to it as a ‘crime scene’. COSATU provincial secretary, Kopano Konopi said they were not surprised by the stuns and actions of Mantashe and this confirms that, the country is now deteriorating into a police state, where leaders of the state are willing to unleash the police and the military without first hearing their side of the story.
“We are also not surprised because the DMR is suspect number one on the crime taking place there, as they are the ones who have failed to transform and regulate the mining industry as they are required by the law. We have observed with disappointment that the DMR is only interested in mining, which is still active.
“They have less interest in making sure that the land where mining was taking place can be used for other purposes post mining. We call on Mantashe to step up to his responsibilities as per the law and make sure that all mining companies adhere to the law and they meet their obligations during the duration of their active mining period and post mining,” he said.
Konopi said it is critical that DMRE exert its legal authority and hold the delinquent mining companies accountable for their failure to fulfil their legal obligations to close and secure old mines as well as to rehabilitate them. He said the number of such mines are estimated to be in their thousands and DMR is only able to tackle a handful annually.
“Companies which fail to do so must be sanctioned as per the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, including fines and suspension of their licenses.
The police must not be expected to tackle this mammoth task on their own, whilst the mining companies and DMRE fail to act.
“This is a matter of urgency, given the dangers those mines pose to workers and communities and the rampant levels of crime that neighbouring communities are being subjected to as these matters of anarchy and lawlessness are getting out of control,” said Konopi.
The Guardian 