The police say they will not go underground and endanger their lives to rescue illegal miners in the North West as they are believed to be heavily armed.
National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said: “As a responsible government we are not going to allow our men and women in blue and our soldiers to go down there to combat this particular activity. It is dangerous.”
Earlier this month more than 50 illegal miners emerged and reported many others were underground at a mine near the town of Stilfontein. They are reported to be weak from a lack of food and water.
On Thursday afternoon three illegal miners resurfaced from the abandoned shaft, and the decomposed body of an illegal miner was retrieved by community members who have been helping rescue those underground.
Police and defence ministry officials visited the site on Friday to “bring the operation to a safe and lawful conclusion”.
LISTEN | Hazardous gases and miners likely heavily armed: Cops refuse to help trapped illegal miners
Image: Ihsaan Haffejee/Reuters
The police say they will not go underground and endanger their lives to rescue illegal miners in the North West as they are believed to be heavily armed.
National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said: “As a responsible government we are not going to allow our men and women in blue and our soldiers to go down there to combat this particular activity. It is dangerous.”
Earlier this month more than 50 illegal miners emerged and reported many others were underground at a mine near the town of Stilfontein. They are reported to be weak from a lack of food and water.
On Thursday afternoon three illegal miners resurfaced from the abandoned shaft, and the decomposed body of an illegal miner was retrieved by community members who have been helping rescue those underground.
Police and defence ministry officials visited the site on Friday to “bring the operation to a safe and lawful conclusion”.
Protesters call for a stop to ‘smoking out’ illegal miners
Police said they consulted with the mine owner and department of mineral resources and energy.
“They told us it is unsafe and inhumane to allow people to go down there. We have taken a decision that no police officer, no soldier, no government official will go down an abandoned mine. There are hazardous gases flowing there and there is high risk of loss of life. According to our intelligence the illegal miners may be heavily armed.”
Listen to cops' spokesperson:
This year police have seized hundreds of high-calibre firearms and ammunition at illegal mining operations.
On Wednesday the Presidency said it is not the government's job to retrieve criminals. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni laughed off questions about whether the government was considering helping the illegal miners.
“We're not sending help to criminals. We're going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped. We didn't send them there and they didn't go down there for the benefit of the republic, so we can't help them,” she told journalists.
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
Operation Vala Umgodi lacks humanity: EFF
There are alternatives to eliminating illegal mining besides targeting low-level zama zamas: experts
TOM EATON | Plumb the depths — and be careful not to be ‘trapped’
Where's the ubuntu?: Zille questions tough stance on illegal miners
‘The police have killed our loved ones’: relatives of trapped NW illegal miners
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
News and promos in your inbox
subscribeMost read
Latest Videos