A harrowing situation continues to unfold at the disused mines in Stilfontein, North West, where a group of illegal miners, known as zama zamas, have been trapped underground for weeks. On Thursday, two letters were received from the miners, painting a grim and alarming picture of the conditions they face. One handwritten letter claims that over 100 people have already perished in the deep shafts, as the miners remain stuck in a precarious stalemate with law enforcement.
The letters offer a chilling update on the miners’ ongoing plight. The first letter describes the tragic toll of the underground entrapment, alleging that 109 miners have died in the confined and hazardous environment, where help has been slow to arrive. In a desperate plea, the second letter requests cleaning fluid and imphepho, an indigenous African plant traditionally used in ceremonies to communicate with ancestors. The body of one deceased miner was pulled from the mine on Thursday, highlighting the growing urgency of the situation.
Despite weeks of silence from the miners, civic society group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) managed to send food and water to the trapped miners on Thursday, after an agonizing two-week wait. The organization has been vocal in its calls for an urgent rescue operation, stressing the need for swift action to prevent further loss of life. Their intervention underscores the dire circumstances faced by the zama zamas, who are often marginalized and trapped in dangerous, illegal mining activities as they search for work.
The ongoing crisis at the Stilfontein mines comes amid a broader and long-standing issue of illegal mining in South Africa, which has been exacerbated by poverty and a lack of economic opportunities in many regions. Authorities have deployed police officers as part of the “Vala Umgodi” operation to combat illicit mining and safeguard public safety, but the situation on the ground has remained precarious.
In a separate development, some of the illegal miners who were arrested after being rescued from the same mines in previous months appeared in court this week. The court proceedings, which followed their rescue from the shafts in November 2024, led to wholly suspended sentences. On Wednesday, reports indicated that the miners had received suspended sentences, with no immediate jail time, provided they do not commit further crimes related to illegal mining during the suspension period. The sentences included either six months in prison or a R12,000 fine for illicit mining, and an additional three months or R6,000 fine for contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act.
Among those arrested were 10 Lesotho nationals, four Mozambican nationals, and five Zimbabwean nationals, ranging in age from 20 to 43. Following their court appearance, the offenders were deported to their countries of origin by the Department of Home Affairs on January 7, 2025. The miners had resurfaced from Margaret Shaft in November 2024, where they were arrested as part of a large-scale operation against illegal mining activities in the area.
The Stilfontein crisis serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by illegal miners, many of whom risk their lives in unsafe and unregulated conditions. As rescue efforts continue and the legal system processes those involved, the broader issue of illegal mining remains a persistent challenge, with social, economic, and humanitarian concerns that demand urgent attention.
