Letters from Stilfontein: Illegal miners say there are 109 bodies underground

The group of illegal miners holed up underground at the disused mines at Stilfontein in North West have sent two letters, alleging that more than 100 people have died in the deep shafts. 

It had been weeks since communication had been dispatched from the group of illegal miners, colloquially referred to as zama zamas. Two two letters received on Thursday paint a grim picture of the situation in the mine shafts. 

One handwritten letter alleges that 109 people have died underground, as months continue to pass amid a stalemate between the police officers deployed under operation “Vala Umgodi” and the miners. 

Another letter requests cleaning fluid and imphepho (an indigenous African plant that, once dried, is burnt in order to communicate with one's ancestors). The body of a dead miner was also hoisted from the mine on Thursday.

Civic society group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) on Thursday said it had managed to send some food and water to the miners, after about two weeks. The non-governmental organisation has been calling for the miners to be urgently rescued.

On Wednesday, IOL reported that some of the illegal miners, who were arrested after being rescued from disused mines at Stilfontein, North West, appeared in court where they received wholly suspended sentences.

Another group of illegal miners appeared before the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on December 31 where they were sentenced for illicit mining and contravention of the Immigration Act.

“The accused include 10 Lesotho nationals, four Mozambican and five Zimbabwean undocumented foreign nationals with ages between 20 and 43," said North West provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.

"The court handed down six months imprisonment or R12,000 fine to each of the accused for illegal mining." 

The sentences are wholly suspended for a period of five years on condition that the miners are not convicted again for illegal mining during the period of suspension.

The illegal miners were further sentenced to three months imprisonment or R6,000 fine which is wholly suspended for five years on condition that they are not convicted for contravention of South Africa’s Immigration Act.

“Following the sentences, the accused were on January 7, 2025, deported to their countries of origin by Department of Home Affairs. The accused were arrested at Margaret Shaft where they resurfaced in November 2024,” said Mokgwabone.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL