The South African government has announced that it will not provide assistance to around 4,000 illegal miners trapped inside a closed mine in Stilfontein, North West province. These miners, who are often referred to as “zama zamas,” have been cut off from basic supplies like food and water due to a police-led operation called Vala Umgodi (“Close the Hole”). This operation aims to block off mine entrances used by illegal miners, with the intent to force them to surface and face arrest.
In recent weeks, over 1,000 miners have come out of similar shafts across North West province. Many of them have emerged weak and ill due to the lack of supplies. Authorities are maintaining a strong presence around the mines to ensure that those who surface are detained.
Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni emphasized the government’s stance, stating, “We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted.”
Illegal mining in South Africa remains a significant challenge, particularly in old gold-mining regions. Many of the miners, often from neighboring countries, are employed by syndicates that exploit abandoned mines to extract remaining deposits. Communities near these sites frequently report crime and violence linked to the illegal miners, who are known to be heavily armed, with disputes between rival groups sometimes resulting in deadly clashes.
