BL Premium reports that Buffelsfontein Gold Mine (BGM), owner of the Stilfontein mine where hundreds of illegal miners have been “trapped” underground for months, has dismissed the government’s assertion that the company is legally bound to conduct the rescue operations.
The mining house rejected the claim in a response to an urgent application filed at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) by Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua). The NGO has lodged an urgent application to the top court for an order to conduct immediate rescue operations of the miners, which it argued was being stifled by the state. Regular food and water supply for the miners have been blocked for more than three months. Since October, more than 1,000 miners have resurfaced from the abandoned gold mine after police started an operation aimed at addressing illegal mining in the North West. Many are said to be stranded underground. With the case to reach the ConCourt in January, the government has put the spotlight on BGM, saying the company did not have a closure certificate and therefore was responsible for the Stilfontein saga. Werksmans Attorneys representing BGM has disputed the government’s assertions. A closure certificate is issued by the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy to ensure companies follow policies and environmental laws after ceasing operations.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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