Campaign to raise money for trapped miners in Stilfontein gets R49k in three days

The BackaBuddy crowdfunding campaign for hundreds of illegal miners trapped at an abandoned mine in Stilfontein, North West, had raised R49,000 of its R200,000 target by Thursday evening. 

The campaign was initiated in partnership with Mining Affected Communities United in Action, the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa and local community organisations who are tirelessly working on the ground. 

The campaign, which started on Monday, aimed to deliver emergency food, clean water and medical supplies, including life-saving items including e-Pap, a fortified, ready-to-eat nutritional product.

On their BackaBuddy page, the fundraisers said the trapped miners were enduring unimaginable conditions without food, water or vital medical supplies.

“After three months without any food and water supplies, their health is deteriorating rapidly. Many are emaciated, dehydrated, and in desperate need of care.” 

They said the greatest crisis was at Shaft 11, where 500 miners were trapped up to two kilometres underground without any way of resurfacing, as there was no staircase.

They said potentially thousands of others were trapped in surrounding shafts that have staircases, but miners were too weak and ill to make their way up. 

TimesLIVE