Macua wants Mchunu held in contempt as zama zamas ask for ‘body bags’

Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) has filed another application in the Pretoria high court — this time to have police minister Senzo Mchunu found in contempt of a previous court ruling regarding the provision of humanitarian aid to illegal miners underground at various shafts in Stilfontein, North West.

This as they shared more letters received from the stranded miners, including one asking for six body bags for those who had died underground.

On Sunday the Pretoria high court ordered several government officials, including the police and mineral resources ministers, to allow “community members, charitable organisations and interested parties” to provide humanitarian aid to the illegal miners, also known as zama zamas, still underground at shafts 10 and 11 and Margaret shaft.

Macua was granted this interim relief pending the finalisation of the main application which will be heard on Thursday.

While supplies began trickling down to the miners from Monday afternoon, the organisation argued the police had “placed arbitrary limitations on the quantity of food community members intended to lower down” to the miners.

“Furthermore, the police refused certain essential food items, including maize meal, canned fish and soup, to be lowered down at all without any explanation. In addition to restricting certain food items, [they] also refused to permit the delivery of paracetamol and batteries for the miners' headlamps,” it said.

“As Macua, we will not allow the law enforcement to break the law wilfully. They are supposed to enforce the law, especially the interim court order granted in our favour, not to violate the constitutional right and right to life of the trapped miners.

“It is unacceptable that the police can be allowed to use starvation and depriving of food and other necessities as tools to bring about law enforcement.”

The organisation also shared five handwritten notes from the zama zamas detailing their desperate plea for food and help for the sick and dying. In a few, the miners ask for body bags to “cover the people who have died”. One letter puts this figure at four, while another says six. It is not clear if these are separate numbers.

This is a developing story.

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