South African police are locked in a tense standoff with hundreds of illegal miners who remain underground in a disused mine shaft, following a move by authorities to intensify efforts to clear the site.
The confrontation comes after weeks of police operations aimed at emptying the abandoned gold mine in North West province as part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining. This long-standing issue has impacted South Africa for decades, leading to significant financial losses due to both small-scale theft and large criminal networks.
More than 1,000 miners emerged after authorities cut off food and water supplies, yet police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe indicated that hundreds might still be underground. On Thursday, a decomposed body was retrieved from the site, with pathologists present for investigation.
Responding to questions about whether aid would be provided to the illegal miners, known locally as “zama-zamas” from the Zulu term for “taking a chance,” Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stated, “We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out.”
Top police and defense officials are set to visit the site on Friday to emphasize the government’s commitment to resolving the situation safely and lawfully, according to a police media statement.
Illegal gold mining continues to pose a substantial economic challenge for South Africa, costing the government and the mining sector an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars each year in lost revenue, taxes, and royalties.