November 16th 2024.
Currently, there is a dire situation unfolding in South Africa, where up to 4,000 miners have been left without food or water in a closed gold mine. This is a result of the authorities cutting off supplies and refusing to provide assistance, as part of a crackdown on the country's illegal mining trade. It is a desperate and alarming situation, as these miners have been stuck in a disused shaft in Stilfontein for three long months, breathing in toxic dust and enduring sweltering heat. To make matters worse, they are only wearing underwear as they mine for minerals to be sold on the black market.
The miners, who are known as "zama zamas" in South Africa, are typically poor migrant workers who are often hired by criminal gangs. They spend months underground extracting material from the roughly 6,000 abandoned mines that have been left open by companies and multinational corporations. The most lucrative mineral is gold, which is estimated to be worth £610 million on the black market each year. However, the people who mine it are at the lowest rung of this illegal trade.
One volunteer rescuer, Kagiso Gabashane, shared a heartbreaking story about his sister who became pregnant by one of the trapped miners. He said that when the miner left, he told his girlfriend that he was going to "hustle" because she was pregnant. In this community, "hustling" means going underground to mine. It is a dangerous and illegal way for these miners to make a living.
According to reports, there are believed to be around 100,000 illegal miners in South Africa. However, it is difficult to determine the exact number of miners who are currently trapped underground. Some reports suggest there are a few hundred, while others estimate as many as 4,000. So far, 1,187 miners have emerged and each one of them has been arrested. The only way in and out of the 1.8km-deep mine is through a pulley system, which takes an hour to move each person. This is their only way out, but because the trade is illegal, they face arrest as soon as they reach the surface.
As time goes on, the condition of the miners continues to deteriorate. They have been without food, water, and medicine for over four weeks now. David Van Wyk, a lead researcher at the Johannesburg-based Benchmarks Foundation, expressed concern for their well-being. He said, "At this point, they are starving, becoming dehydrated, and breathing toxic dust. They're going to come out very weak and ill when they do come up."
The South African government has been criticized for their inaction in this situation. Volunteer rescue workers, many of whom are illegal miners or know those who are trapped, have stepped in to help after the government refused aid. The government has dismissed claims that the miners are "trapped" underground, stating that this is an illegal mining operation and not a rescue effort. They have also taken measures to crack down on the illegal mining industry, including cutting off supplies, blocking entrances, and detaining miners when they emerge.
However, this approach has been met with criticism and concern. The South African Federation of Trade Unions has warned that it "may end in tragedy." The South African Human Rights Commission has launched an investigation into the police for restricting the miners' essential supplies. Meanwhile, an army of volunteers arrives each day at 9am to help lift miners up on the rope, working tirelessly until 4pm. Nearby, family members, mostly women, gather and cook over a fire as they anxiously wait for news of their loved ones.
While the government and police are focused on penalizing the miners, there are calls for reform from campaign group Mining Affected Communities United in Action. They believe that the first step to preventing situations like this is to force companies to close old mines and improve employment opportunities. The national coordinator, Meshack Mbangula, said, "If the sector is legalized and made safe, it can hire thousands of people and contribute to the economy of South Africa. It can assist in reducing poverty, unemployment, and crime." He also emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes that drive people to risk their lives in illegal mining.
In the midst of this crisis, families and friends can only wait and hope for the safe return of their loved ones. It is a difficult and heartbreaking situation, but it sheds light on the larger issues surrounding illegal mining in South Africa. Urgent action is needed to prevent further tragedies like this from occurring in the future.
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