Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has told local communities in Stilfontein in the North West where illegal miners are remain underground that the authorities are doing everything in their power to get them to resurface.
Mchunu said on Friday that 1187 people have come to the surface from the mine.
One illegal miner has passed away and police have registered an inquest to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
A significant number remain underground.
The Minister conducted a visit to the Stilfontein mine shaft and engaged with members of the South African Defence Force on the events that have unfolded at the mine shaft to date.
Addressing the local community after the visit, Mchunu said the police were aware of the illegal firearms the illegal miners have.
“These are people who are coming to South Africa illegally. What we are doing as the police is to ensure that there is law and order in the country,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu said police were intensifying their operations to get the illegal miners out of the mine.
“We are aware that some community members know what is happening down there, we are appealing to them to distance themselves from those activities, engaging in illegal mining is illegal,” the Minister said.
He appealed to the local communities to assist the police in combatting illegal mining.
“We are aware that what is happening there is dangerous. We are doing everything in our power to deal with the situation we are faced with,” Mchunu said.
On Tuesday, a total of 15 suspects including Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Basotho and South Africans surfaced from Magaret Shaft.
The suspects are being processed and are expected to appear before the Stilfontein Magistrates Court on charges of possession of gold dust, contravention of the Immigration Act, 2002 and illicit mining.
The Operation Vala Umgodi team – comprising members from the SAPS, SANDF and stakeholders – have seized illegal mining equipment and goods including alcohol, energy beverages, oxygen cylinders, an air compressor, scrap generator, a laptop, and bags containing gold bearing material as well as a jackhammer and generators. – SAnews.gov.za
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