Retrieval of Stilfontein illegal miners must be done carefully, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa wants law enforcement officers to tread carefully when undertaking a mission to retrieve illegal miners underground in Stilfontein, North West.

In his weekly newsletter on Monday the president said materials used by miners were dangerous and police needed to be cautious.

Police reported that more than 1,004 illegal miners had surfaced at Stilfontein between October 18 and November 16. Since last month, police and the army have blocked routes used to deliver food to the miners. 

The miners use an 1,800m long rope to get out of the mine while being assisted by people pulling them. Last week a community member who went underground to talk to the miners said there were “about 4,500" underground. He said the miners were “too weak to come up” and had asked for food and water. 

“Illegal mining is a form of criminality that has caused a great deal of anger and anguish in communities. For more than a month police and other government agencies have been working to resolve a situation of several hundred illegal miners refusing to surface from an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein,” Ramaphosa said.

He said law-enforcement authorities have information that some miners may be heavily armed.

Ramaphosa said it is well-established that illegal miners are recruited by criminal gangs and form part of wider organised crime syndicates. 

The miners, who entered the mine to conduct illegal mining operations, face arrest, he said, adding police will bring them to the surface.

“The police will carry out their duties and responsibilities to bring the illegal miners to the surface safely. They will do all they can to reduce the risk of harm to the miners and to law enforcement officials. Those who resurface are assessed by medical personnel on site. Those in good health are detained and will be processed according to the law. Those who require medical care will be taken to hospital under police guard.”

At the weekend, police minister Senzo Mchunu convened a meeting with stakeholders who are part of the rescue team with the North West MEC for community safety and transport management, Wessels Morweng.

Ramaphosa implored the police to take “great care to ensure lives are not put at risk and the rights of all people are respected”. 

“The hazardous nature of illicit and unregulated mining poses considerable risk in terms of the presence of explosives, the inhalation of toxic fumes and the possible collapse of unstable mine shafts. This endangers not only the illegal miners, but also our police and other law enforcement agencies. 

“Police, mine safety experts and emergency and rescue personnel remain at the scene. The situation is precarious, uncertain and potentially volatile. We need to be clear the activities of the miners are illegal. They pose a risk to our economy, communities and personal safety,” Ramaphosa said. 

“The Stilfontein mine is a crime scene where the offence of illegal mining is being committed. It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest.” 

TimesLIVE