A South African court has intervened in a standoff between police and illegal miners, issuing an order to allow emergency workers access to a mine shaft in Stilfontein where hundreds of miners are believed to be trapped. The High Court in Pretoria ruled that all miners underground should be permitted to leave without obstruction.
The court's interim ruling came after concerns were raised about the well-being of the illegal miners, who have been cut off from essential supplies by the police. The South African Human Rights Commission is investigating the police for restricting food and water to the miners.
According to David Van Wyk of the Benchmarks Foundation, the issue of illegal mining in South Africa is exacerbated by the presence of thousands of abandoned mines, which become targets for illegal activities due to improper closure by large companies.
The police have welcomed the court order, stating that they will continue to assess and detain illegal miners who resurface. Those in good health will be processed and detained, while those requiring medical care will be taken to the hospital under police guard.
Operations are ongoing at abandoned mining shafts in the Stilfontein area, with a few illegal miners voluntarily resurfacing. Additionally, a South African national was arrested at a smelter facility in Kanana used for purifying gold.
