More than 100 illegal miners have perished after being trapped for months in an abandoned gold mine in South Africa’s North West province, according to a community rights group. The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) confirmed the deaths on Monday, revealing harrowing details of the tragedy.
Sabelo Mnguni, a spokesperson for MACUA, told The Associated Press (AP) that a cellphone brought to the surface by rescued miners contained two videos showing dozens of bodies wrapped in plastic deep underground. The miners are believed to have succumbed to starvation and dehydration while authorities attempted to remove them from the illegal operation site.
Rescue efforts and disturbing discoveries
Authorities launched a police operation in November 2023 to evacuate miners from the site, but the prolonged underground conditions turned deadly. Mnguni confirmed that at least 18 bodies had been retrieved since Friday, while many more remain trapped below.
The exact number of fatalities is still uncertain, but Mnguni emphasised that a minimum of 100 people had lost their lives in the mine. Officials are still working to recover the remaining bodies and determine the full scale of the disaster.
A persistent problem in South Africa’s mining industry
Illegal mining remains a major challenge in South Africa, where abandoned mines often attract desperate workers seeking gold in hazardous conditions. Man of these miners, known locally as ‘zama zamas’, risk their lives in unstable and oxygen-deprived tunnels, often falling victim to collapses, toxic gas, or starvation.
Authorities have struggled to combat illegal mining operations, which are frequently linked to organised crime syndicates. The North West province, home to some of South Africa’s richest gold deposits, has seen repeated incidents of fatalities and mine-related violence.
Calls for action and investigation
Following the tragedy, community activists and human rights organisations are urging the South African government to take stronger action against illegal mining while addressing the socio-economic conditions that push workers into such dangerous environments.
Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation, and authorities have yet to confirm an official death toll. Meanwhile, families of the deceased miners anxiously await updates as recovery efforts continue.
This latest incident underscores the dire consequences of illegal mining and the urgent need for policy reforms and stronger enforcement in South Africa’s mining sector.
Credit: Africabriefing
