The government of South Africa announced that will not provide help approximately 4,000 illegal miners that are trapped inside a closed mine in the province of Northwest. These miners have been left no access to basic supplies due to a official strategy intended for combat the illegal mining in the country.
In the mina de Stilfonteinlos miners trapped in the well they would be facing a grave shortage of food, water and other essential needs after the police blockade los accessed employees to transport supplies to the underground.
This measure is part of the police operation Vala Umgodi (“Close the Mine”), which consists of interrupt supply of supplies to illegal miners to force them to the surface, where they will be detained.
The police spokesperson of the province of Northwest, Sabbath Thursdaystated that, according to information obtained from those who recently helped bring three miners to the surface, There could be up to 4,000 miners underground. However, the police have not yet given an official estimate.
In recent weeks, more than 1,000 miners have come to the surface in several mines in the province of Northwestmany of them in conditions of weakness, hunger y disease after spending weeks without access to basic necessities.
The police continues to monitor the areas around the mine this Thursday to stop all those who emerge from the underground.
The minister Reminder declared to the press on Wednesday that the government will not send aid to illegal minerssince its activity constitutes a criminal act.
“We are not going to send help to criminals. Let’s get them out of there; they will come out. Criminals are not helped. “We don’t send them there.”he stated Bloody blood.
The illegal mining still common in former areas of gold extraction in South Africawhere the miners They enter closed wells in search of possible deposits remnants.
Illegal miners typically come from neighboring countries, and according to police, these illegal operations are linked to large unions who employ workers to carry out excavations.
The presence of illegal miners in closed mines has generated problems with nearby communities, which denounce the commission of crimes by these miners, which include from robberies until violations.
The illegal miningin addition to its risks, has a significant impact on the south african economy.
Only in the gold extractionit is estimated that the losses exceed the R70 billion annual (around 3,680 million euros), which positions South Africa as one of the largest sources of illegal gold in the world and represents a substantial loss of revenue for the government and the mining industry.
Since it began in December 2023the police operation against illegal mining has led to the arrest of “more than 13,690 suspects in the seven provinces where this activity is concentrated,” reported the teniente general Shadrack Sibiyaacting national police commissioner.
“We have seized five million rand (about 263,000 euros) in cash and rough diamonds worth 32 million rand (about 1,685,000 euros)”added the commissioner, who assured that the Operations will continue “until all those illegal miners reappear and are arrested.”
(With information from AP/EFE)
