Stilfontein zama zama ‘middleman’ says others may be clueless to shaft shutdown operation
An illegal miner who resurfaced last week and was sent back down told authorities it was difficult to get the word out to all the miners in a shaft that is 2.5km deep.
STILFONTEIN - An illegal miner sent down to caution other zama zamas about an ongoing operation to haul them back to the surface of an abandoned mine in Stilfontein doesn’t believe all the miners are aware of the government’s plans.
Law enforcement officials have intensified their weeks-long Operation Vala Umgodi to shut down a network of illegal miners operating at several shafts at the old Buffelsfontein mine.
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Part of the controversial operation includes cutting off food and water supplies to the illegal miners to force them out of the shaft.
However, the illegal miners, fearing arrest, have refused to resurface.
The North West local government has since established a task team to compel the illegal miners to resurface from the abandoned Shaft 11.
An illegal miner who resurfaced last week was sent back into the shaft on Tuesday to act as a middleman between the rescue team and the zama zamas.
He was told to inform the illegal miners of the government’s plans to send a cage down the shaft in the coming days, which would carry them up to the surface.
But the 36-year-old said it was difficult to get the word out to all the miners in a shaft that is 2.5km deep.
“I don’t think everyone in the shaft is aware of what’s happening. I don’t think everyone will come out when they start bringing people out.”
The operation is set to continue on Wednesday.