Gauteng police investigating disappearance of illegal miners in Krugersdorp
The zama zamas were reportedly searching for gold in an abandoned and decommissioned mine shaft when the earth above them collapsed on Thursday.
Destitute South Africans in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, country continue to benefit from illicit coal mining amid the country’s high unemployment rate. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng police are investigating the disappearance of 30 illegal miners, believed to be trapped underground in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
The zama zamas were reportedly searching for gold in an abandoned and decommissioned mine shaft when the earth above them collapsed on Thursday.
It remains unclear whether any rescue operations have been initiated to locate and retrieve the trapped miners.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo told Eyewitness News that they have not received confirmed information about the reported collapse but said investigations were underway.
Krugersdorp has long been identified as a hotspot for illegal mining.
Earlier this year, provincial police commissioner lieutenant-general Tommy Mthombeni acknowledged the prevalence of zama zama operations in the area and promised heightened police visibility and interventions to curb the activity.
Despite these assurances, the situation appears to persist, with illegal miners often operating without adequate safety measures in abandoned mines across the province.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is set to go back to Stilfontein, in the North West where a team of experts has been appointed to bring hundreds of illegal miners back to the surface.