Humanitarian case against govt over Stilfontein illegal miners postponed
On Saturday, the Society for the Protection of our Constitution made an urgent application to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to allow the miners to exit safely while limiting the interference of policing efforts.
An aerial view shows an open mine shaft where artisanal miners get access to the mine in Stilfontein on 17 November 2024. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - The humanitarian aid case against the government regarding the illegal miners underground in Stilfontein in the North West has been postponed to Thursday.
On Saturday, the Society for the Protection of our Constitution made an urgent application to the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, to allow the miners to exit safely while limiting the interference of policing efforts.
The court ordered the unblocking of shaft 11, where the miners have been hiding from police who may arrest them upon surfacing.
The case was postponed to allow the respondents, which include the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department (COGTA), South African Police Service (SAPS), and Health and Department of Mineral Resources and Energy [DMRE], to provide answering affidavits.
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe explained: “The illegal miners are not trapped. They are refusing to go out because they are avoiding arrest. We have allowed a limited supply of porridge and water, so they regain their strength and surface. They sent us a letter on Saturday requesting food and nowhere on that letter did they say they are trapped.”
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