Stilfontein, South Africa – A significant rescue operation is underway in an abandoned gold mine near Stilfontein, approximately 140 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg, where more than two dozen illegal miners have been rescued and at least nine bodies recovered. The operation resumed on Tuesday to reach potentially dozens more people believed to be trapped underground.
A professional mine rescue company employed a large cage on Monday to retrieve individuals from the depths of the mine. The area is notorious for hosting thousands of illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas” or “those who try” in Zulu, many of whom are from foreign countries, operating in abandoned shafts across South Africa’s mineral-rich terrain.
In November, a concerted effort by authorities to dislodge these miners from the Stilfontein shaft was initiated. The exact number of people still underground remains unclear, with police estimates suggesting there could still be hundreds trapped.
Community leader Johannes Qankase reported on Tuesday that 26 individuals had been rescued and nine bodies retrieved the day before. “They are very sick. They are very dehydrated. You can see they are nearly dying,” Qankase described the condition of the rescued miners, most of whom were hospitalized, while two were reportedly taken into police custody.
The government’s response has been criticized, with accusations that they have tried to force miners to surface by restricting food and water supplies. On Monday, government officials announced that over 1,000 individuals involved in illegal mining activities in the area had surfaced and were apprehended.
Visual evidence from Monday, captured by AFP journalists and released by miners’ rights groups, showed several corpses wrapped in plastic at the mine shaft, along with body bags being removed from the rescue equipment. Since November, at least seven bodies have been retrieved from the mine, with claims circulating that more than 100 bodies might still be underground.
Survivors exiting the mine over the past weeks have described harrowing conditions, including severe dehydration and hunger. Some of these miners faced arrest upon surfacing due to lacking proper documentation.
The ongoing situation at Stilfontein highlights the perilous and often criminalized world of illegal mining in South Africa, where zama zamas not only risk their lives but also face significant legal repercussions. Government officials are expected at the site as the recovery operation continues.
