Community leaders in Stilfontein poke holes in govt's plan to rescue illegal miners

JOHANNESBURG - Community leaders in Stilfontein have started to poke holes in the government’s rescue plans, as teams arrive on-site to bring scores of illegal miners back to the surface at an abandoned gold mine. 

Hundreds, possibly thousands of zama zamas are refusing to resurface from a shaft where a network of illegal miners has been operating for years. 

Law enforcement recently intensified its bid to shut down the underground network by cutting off food and water supplies to the illegal miners. 

A group of community members who have been part of rescue efforts for the past three weeks has been told to stand down and make way for mining experts. 

READ: Plan in motion to rescue miners at abandoned shaft in Stilfontein

Another assessment of the shaft is currently being done to determine the magnitude of the task ahead. 

So far, there’s a three-point plan in place which includes clearing the site and establishing communication with the illegal miners, sending down equipment for a clear picture of what is underground and then the technical work to haul the illegal miners up. 

However, community leader, Thembile Bortman said some considerations have not been made. 

“It’s going to take about 15 days, if we do the assumptions. What are they eating? And did they get their ARVs [anti-retrovirals] that they wanted?” 

The exact timeline of the rescue mission is unknown.