Zama-zama death toll may rise – Mantashe

Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe says the number of illegal miners from Lesotho who died underground at Virginia Mine in the Free State may rise from the 31 reported.

Mantashe was speaking at the mine in Welkom where the accident occurred in May. A report of the incident was received by the department over the weekend.

“Illegal mining is not mining activity, it is a criminal activity. They get into accidents and die in numbers. They suspect 31 here [but] I can tell you it will be more than 31. In Krugersdorp, we saw the deaths of 21, in Gloria we saw the deaths of 17,” he said.

ALSO READ: Mantashe accuses Lesotho of economic sabotage after deaths of 31 suspected illegal miners

The minister said retrieving bodies underground will not be easy.

“We have agreed to put our heads together to find a solution. We can’t leave those bodies underground. That is what we are working on, but this is going to take a bit longer because there is no direct shaft that has a connection with this shaft.

“When we opened the shaft, we discovered that its tunnel to this shaft is sealed … not only on the surface but it has been filled up. So the problem is much bigger. If it takes longer then it takes longer, but we must take those bodies out,” he said.

Mantashe explained that the illegal miners gained access to the shaft sealed since the mine closed in the 1990s with the use of explosives.

ALSO READ: 31 illegal miners die underground in Free State

“We commend Harmony [mining company] for doing rehabilitation. They sealed a number of shafts. But this one was blown open,” he said.

Mantashe called for Lesotho and SA to work together to combat illegal mining.

– SAnews. gov.za