Stilfontein mine: Police will still arrest illegal miners after court order

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ordered the Stilfontein, North West, mine where hundreds of illegal miners are reported to be trapped be open to emergency services.

An alleged standoff between authorities and the miners, who refuse to surface in fear of being arrested, has sparked fierce debate across the country this week.

The miners are said to be without food or water.

The court order means any miner trapped must be allowed to exit to get assistance.

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It is believed that several may have died so far, with at least one body retrieved and two reportedly rushed to hospital on Saturday.

Earlier, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) allowed food and water to the illegal miners, with volunteers delivering the resources underground.

Miners will still be arrested

Police acknowledged the order but said it would not stop miners from being arrested.

“Static deployment operations continue at all abandoned and disused mining shafts in the Stilfontein area, where a call is once again made to all illegal miners to resurface.

“The order does not in any way prevent SAPS from performing its constitutional mandate.

“All those who resurface will continue to be assessed by emergency medical personnel on site, as has been the case.

“Those that are in good health will be processed and detained,” said spokesperson

“Those that require further medical care will be taken to hospital under police guard. As of 4 p.m. on Saturday, three illegal miners have resurfaced,” said national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.

Mathe had earlier said no police would enter the mine.

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Court battle to resume next week

The court granted the urgent interdict brought by the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution, with the matter to be heard in full next week.

It is understood several government departments will then have to make representation on their role in the standoff.

‘We are not sending help to criminals’

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said this week that the government would not assist the miners.

“You want us to send help to criminals? Honestly?”

“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 persecuted.

“We didn’t send them there and they didn’t go down there for the good benefit or intentions of the republic so we can’t help them.

“Those who want to help them, must go and take the food down there. They will come out [and] we will arrest them,” she said.

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She asked if law enforcement officers should risk their lives for “criminals”?

“What if when we send police or the military to supply them with food the place explodes and caves in? What will happen?

“So families must continue to sacrifice because criminals got themselves in a bind? No, we are not sending any help. They will come out.”

This is a developing story

Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa and Faizel Patel

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