By Salomé Kotzé
Lentswe, Stilfontein - These past two weeks, more than 1 000 illegal miners
who were slowly starving to death underground, surrendered themselves to the police.
Zama-zamas started resurfacing on October 18 after mine security, SAPS task teams and the Vala Umgodi team managed to successfully block supplies like groceries and water from reaching them underground.
Lentswe was told that these zama-zamas paid astronomical amounts of money for something as simple as 2-minute noodles and maize meal. “As food became scarcer for them, a packet of 2-minute noodles was worth R2 500 and mieliepap R3 000,’’ we were told in confidence.
Brig Sabatha Mokgwabone, police spokesperson, said preventing local communities in and around abandoned mine shafts from delivering food parcels and water eventually forced the illegal miners to resurface. Most of the zama-zamas resurfaced this past weekend at Margaret Shaft near Stilfontein. Over the weekend between Friday and Sunday (1-3 November) almost 600 zama-zamas have resurfaced.
Some of them went without nourishment for several days and were weak and unable to communicate until they received something to eat. Lentswe was told that some of them also ingested nuggets of gold that were retrieved after going through the digestive track.
The police confirmed that all of illegal miners were placed under arrest and they are expected to appear in the Magistrate’s Court in Stilfontein. Mokgwabone said charges were dropped against the first lot that appeared on Monday November 4. They were nevertheless, detained by Immigration Officials pending a deportation order. The illegal miners include Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi foreign nationals.
Meanwhile, Matlosana Executive Mayor, Fikile Mahlophe commended law enforcement agencies on a job well done. He said that all illegal mining operations must be shut down.
“Our country is losing millions if not billions in potential revenue as a result of this illicit yet lucrative business operated mainly by foreign nationals from neighbouring countries.’’
