The Citizen reports that the ongoing situation at the Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, North West, has been described as a “massacre” following the release of videos depicting the appalling conditions faced by illegal miners (zama zamas) still underground.
It is alleged 109 miners have died at the abandoned mine after a two-week suspension of rescue operations led by community volunteers during the festive season, following damage to the pulley system. Before 9 January, the last delivery of food and water to the zama zamas was made on 24 December. The North Gauteng High Court has since ordered the government to rescue the illegal miners and provide humanitarian assistance. Mines Rescue Services (MSR) took over operations at the mine on Monday after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) finalised an agreement with the non-profit company to retrieve the miners. This amid the circulation of a disturbing video showing numerous bodies wrapped in plastic at the abandoned mine, captured via a cellphone sent underground. On Monday, General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa) president and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) attorney, Mametlwe Sebei, described the video footage as painting “a very dire picture”, further labelling the situation “a massacre”. He insisted the miners had “no way out” without a lift, staircase, or pulley system while accusing police and mine owners of denying food, water, and medication to the miners for nearly two weeks even though they were “already dying”.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen
- Read too, Footage shows dozens of dead miners trapped underground, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- And also, Government blamed for deaths of Stilfontein miners, at IOL News
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page