South Africa's government says it is not willing to help around 4,000 illegal miners, who are believed to be inside an abandoned mine situated in the North West province.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told a media briefing on Wednesday that the government would not be sending help to the illegal miners, known locally as "zama zamas", because they are involved in a criminal act.

'We are going to smoke them out - government minister


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IflzVaVyxg8?si=oCVjy60j91ks4NQX[code][/code]

"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn't send them there," Ntshavheni said.

South African publication Daily Maverick cited mining security analysts as doubting the number of "zama zamas" underground, saying as many as 2,000 was more "plausible."

The miners are in a shaft in Stilfontein, a mining town located around 155 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg.

They are believed to be running low on food and water after authorities throttled their supply lines with the intention of forcing them up to the surface.

Over the past few weeks more than 1,000 have resurfaced and have been arrested by police as part of their "Vala Umgodi," — or "Close the Hole" operation.

South Africa's Ministry of Police and the Ministry of Defense planned to visit the North West province to meet with local authorities to look at operations around the Stilfontein mine and assess "challenges and work out appropriate responses."

"SAPS (The South African Police Service) remains resolute in its commitment to uphold law and order and urges all remaining illegal miners to adhere to police calls to resurface," the South African Police Ministry said in a statement.

South Africa had once been the world's largest producer of gold but that has been on the decline over the past few decades. A number of former mining operations now are abandoned and have fallen into disrepair.

Thousands of illicit miners pick through these shuttered mines in search of gold and other minerals in a practice considered extremely dangerous due to the state of the mines.

Last year in June, at least 31 people died in a closed mine in the Free State province after a methane blast.

Many come from neighboring countries among them, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

They often work in dangerous conditions but many of the miners themselves are considered to be dangerous by South African authorities.

There have been numerous instances in which illegal miners have been suspected of being involved in violent crimes, including murders, robberies and rapes.

There are also turf wars involving heavily armed "zama zamas" fighting off rival outfits and who often take on local authorities themselves.

To cut a long story short... these miners are resisting coming up to the surface because they know the cops are waiting for them and they'll either be arrested or deported. The cops have been patient for weeks nows since Oct 18.

The illegal miners Underground come from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They're usually heavily armed and terrorize host communities. Yet they're reluctant to surface even after bern trapped for weeks underground.

Most South Africans want them dealt with decisively as they're a serious security risk to the neighbouring communities and a law unto themselves.

The only thing these South Africans Buffons are good at is flexing their muscles on their fellow black Africans....

Well,it's their home....They can do whatever they like with it,if they think that's the best way to restore sanity to their society.....But they shouldn't forget in a hurry that the probability of their own kinsmen being among those so-called illegal migrant miners whom they wanna smoke out is very high......

Exactly what is happening in Zamfara, Sokoto and other northern states.

These northern states have large deposits of valuable minerals, gold and lithium inclusive.

Instead of allowing government to mine the minerals they're using bandits and terrorists to kill and displace local residents so they can have uninterrupted access to the mining sites.

RandDigital:
To cut a long story short... these miners are resisting coming up to the surface because they know the cops are waiting for them and they'll either be arrested or deported. The cops have been patient for weeks nows since Oct 18.

The illegal miners Underground come from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They're usually heavily armed and terrorize host communities. Yet they're reluctant to surface even after bern trapped for weeks underground.

Most South Africans want them dealt with decisively as they're a serious security risk to the neighbouring communities and a law unto themselves.

If this is really what is going on then your government is right to force them out and arrest but the thing is how are we sure that you are saying the whole truth?

Useless country.

Why not rescue and arrest them then trial them according to the law of the land.

This same useless country was crying and shouting apartheid when the white was dealing with them.

RandDigital:
To cut a long story short... these miners are resisting coming up to the surface because they know the cops are waiting for them and they'll either be arrested or deported. The cops have been patient for weeks nows since Oct 18.

The illegal miners Underground come from Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They're usually heavily armed and terrorize host communities. Yet they're reluctant to surface even after bern trapped for weeks underground.

Most South Africans want them dealt with decisively as they're a serious security risk to the neighbouring communities and a law unto themselves.

Lies.
Just stfu and stop spreading lies.
This was the news before, so why are you saying a different thing now?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/11/15/south-africa-illegal-miners-trapped/76328034007/&ved=2ahUKEwjIj7bi0eOJAxX3UEEAHVOAIaQQFnoECCAQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw1AsbY3jHKhXgla0vvlbcaw

It is everywhere on the internet, SA said it won't help trapped miners.

I think the whites are Saint compared to the devil's attitude we blacks display