DA calls for inquiry into Stilfontein illegal mining crisis

A member of the South African police patrol as they guard the mine shaft where rescue operations are ongoing as attempts are made to rescue illegal miners who have been underground for months in Stilfontein, South Africa, January 14, 2025.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on government to immediately establish an inquiry into the illegal mining crisis at a disused mine in Stilfontein in the North West.

This comes as the court-ordered government-led rescue operations concluded after all the illegal miners were reported to have been brought to the surface.

This week, a total of 246 illegal miners were brought to the resurface and 78 bodies were retrieved.

Since the beginning of police’s Vala Umgodi Operations at the disused mine, 1907 illegal miners have been brought to the surface and 87 bodies retrieved.

DA MP and spokesperson on Mineral and Petroleum Resources, James Lorimer says, “We think that the people who were involved, SAPS and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources should have their conduct examined because this is a disaster. We’ve got 78 people dead so far.”

Lorimer says, “So we want to see whether everybody had been doing their job as they were supposed to have done and we won’t be able to prevent a similar occurrence in the future. So that’s why we need a full investigation. Obviously, we can’t have SAPS and the department investigate themselves and that’s why we think the most appropriate vehicle for this would be an independent commission of inquiry.”