'No one is trapped': Law enforcement says it won't give in to demands from illegal miners in Stilfontein
Law enforcement says it won’t give in to demands by illegal miners refusing to resurface from a disused mineshaft at Stilfontein in the North West.
225 illegal miners were arrested after they resurfaced from an old mining shaft in Orkney. Picture credit: X/@AthlendaM
JOHANNESBURG - Law enforcement says it won’t give in to demands by illegal miners refusing to resurface from a disused mineshaft at Stilfontein in the North West.
Earlier in November, police and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) intensified efforts to fight illegal mining in the area.
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Last week, more than 1,000 miners emerged from a mine shaft in Orkney, after running out of food and water.
They were immediately arrested.
While there are calls for law enforcement to provide aid underground, police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said they would not be backed into a corner.
"At this time, our intelligence is telling us there are still 300 underground but the figure of 4,000 or 5,000 is very far-fetched. It’s a way of these illegal miners to blackmail government, for government to think the situation is so dire that we continue to send food and water so they can continue to operate. We are told by intelligence that they are refusing to resurface. No one is trapped."