Mchunu dismisses calls for illegal Stilfontein miners not to be arrested when they resurface

STILFONTEIN - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has dismissed calls for illegal miners at the Buffelsfontein mine in Stilfontein to be given a grace period to resurface without facing the full might of the law. 

This after some community leaders asked Mchunu to pull the plug on Operation Vala Umgodi on Friday. 

Mchunu met with law enforcement in the North West province, as well as community and religious leaders on Friday in a bid to bring illegal miners back to the surface.

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After back-to-back meetings between law enforcement, Mchunu was asked by a community member if he would consider ordering police to stand down to allow the illegal miners to resurface without facing imminent arrest.

Mchunu shut the proposal down and sent the community delegation back to the drawing board. 

"It is important that we stop any activity that is unlawful and bring it to an end so that there's stability in this particular place."

A second meeting is set to begin shortly at the Stilfontein Police Station to discuss more solutions with local authorities.