Miners underground: Police Minister Senzo Mchunu arrives in Stilfontein
The South African Police Service and the army have been redeployed to the area as part of ongoing efforts to fight illegal mining.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu arrives in Stilfontein to address illegal miners underground, 15 November 2024. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has arrived in the North West where a government delegation is set to discuss the illegal mining crisis in the province.
The South African Police Service and the army have been redeployed to the area as part of ongoing efforts to fight illegal mining.
On Thursday, the body of one illegal miner was recovered by community members.
Last week, more than 1,000 illegal miners emerged from a mine shaft in Orkney, after running out of food and water and they were arrested.
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Eyewitness News was at the Buffelsfontein mine, near one of the shafts where police are hoping illegal miners will emerge.
From what Eyewitness News has observed since Friday morning, it’s a wait-and-see approach - which is no different from when operation “vala umgodi” [close the shaft] was intensified earlier in November.
Police remain on-site at one of the problem areas as part of a team that did an overnight stakeout, again just waiting to see if anyone emerges from the shaft.