Calls for acceleration of retrieval operations in Stilfontein

Community organization, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) has called for the acceleration of retrieval operations at the Stilfontein mine in the North West.

Last month, police retrieved one body and six others have been retrieved since Monday.

According to media reports, a note from the miners asking to be rescued was attached to one of the bodies.

MACUA National Administrator, Sabelo Mnguni says, “We have been raising the concern that people are dying underground. We need to ensure that we save lives and then the law will take its course. We’ve been constantly raising the message of saying – those who are at shaft eleven and ten, it’s very difficult for them to use any alternative ways of resurfacing. They need assistance. The more we delay assistance, the more we risk killing people. So we need to accelerate the rescue processes so that we save lives.”