Police Minister on oversight inspection in Stilfontein

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and his deputy Cassel Mathale have conducted an oversight inspection in Stilfontein near Klerksdorp in the North West.

They are accompanied by the provincial Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi and MEC for Community Safety and Transport management Wessels Morweng.

This after about fifty residents decided to assist a number of illegal miners who are unable to surface due to poor health.

More than a thousand individuals involved in illegal mining have been arrested already since the middle of October.

Communities have raised concerns about the way the suspected illegal miners are treated infringes on their human rights.

#sapsNW [UPDATE] Third illegal miner resurfacing just after 15:30 this afternoon. Two others resurfaced at another abandoned shaft today. The body of a decomposed body of an illegal miner was brought up earlier. Police have registered an inquest to investigate circumstances… pic.twitter.com/fxzJS3TnFy

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) November 14, 2024

However, the authorities are adamant that this is an illegal activity and requires for the law to take its course.

National Police Spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says as much as other residents support illegal miners, some support the police.

“We are expecting the delegation to also meet with the local community where they will obviously voice their concerns around this particular operation. But what we do know is that we do have community that is in support of these illegal miners, and we suspect that they are benefitting from these particular activities. But we do have a community that is against this and supports the work of the police because they feel that illegal miners have been terrorising.”

 Stilfontein Mine | Update on illegal miners underground