Stilfontein residents bemoan poor communication on miners’ retrieval

An aerial view of the Stilfontein mine.

2 minutes

Residents of Stilfontein near Klerksdorp in the North West have expressed frustration over a lack of communication from authorities as the second phase of the operation to bring illegal miners to the surface continues.

Yesterday a crane was used to lower a camera underground a mine to monitor the situation of illegal miners.

[DEVELOPING] Visual assessment of Shaft 11 in Stilfontein begins, with emergency personnel using a crane to evaluate the shaft’s integrity and assess illegal miners underground. SABC News Reporter Thabang Marutloa is monitoring developments. pic.twitter.com/Vw8YWwOlET

— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 23, 2024

Community representative, Thembile Botman says residents are growing increasingly anxious about the wellbeing of the illegal miners who have reportedly not received any food since last week. Botman says they have written a letter to the South African Human Rights Commission to request its intervention.

“We are here to say it is their right to be given food, especially based on the conditions that they are underground. We have written a letter through human rights lawyers to MEC as the chairperson of the committee and the head of community safety in the province. We have written a letter to him and SAPS to request that they give the people food that will sustain them as they are waiting to be rescued.”