Resurfaced illegal miners claim there are dead bodies underground

The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) says the illegal miners who have emerged from Shaft 12 at the Stilfontein mine, have indicated that there are bodies underground.

This as more illegal miners have resurfaced from the shaft in the North West mine today.

Macua’s national coordinator, Meshack Mbangula, says they spoke to the two groups of miners who have emerged recently while they were in custody.

“Those who went out of Margaret and the one that who came out of the new shaft, Shaft number 10 and asked them those that came out of Margaret, how are things going. They said that there is nothing. The only thing that is there is that people are dehydrated, people are hungry and are starving. Some of them, have indicated that there are dead bodies in there. The second group we spoke to indicated that there is nothing of people who are having guns. He even said, unless they are hiding those guns in the pockets.”

VIDEO| Mbangula has also raised concerns about the use of young people for mining activities.

The organisation has called on the government to formalise artisanal and small-scale mining.

Mbangula says talks of kingpins are worrying.

“We want to find out, these issues of kingpins because that worries us because if there is something like that, definitely we need to follow up and make sure that those people are arrested because they are using these people in the wrong way. But if those people are working for themselves, individually, then we need to follow up on issues on where they come from and how do we assist them. We are saying to the government, we need to transform this sector, and if we transform these sectors, formalise it. We will be able to have an understanding of who is working in these places, and we would be generating jobs because South Africa has a high unemployment rate. “

VIDEO | Families of the miners have pleaded with the government to assist their family members