South Africa launches operation at illegal gold mine amid fears many dead Phone video shared by mining NGO appears to show dozens of wrapped bodies in underground tunnel.
The South African government has launched a mission to bring potentially hundreds of people in an illegal mine to the surface who last year had supplies of food, water and medicine blocked by police in an attempt to force them out.
Analysts estimate there are around 30,000 “zama zama” illegal miners producing 10% of South Africa’s gold output in 6,000 abandoned mineshafts, often controlled by violent criminal syndicates.
In early November, they said their blockade of essential supplies around Stilfontein had forced hundreds of miners to the surface since mid-October “as a result of starvation and dehydration” although later that month they allowed some supplies to be sent down.
In late 2023, police launched Operation Vala Umgodi (plug the hole) to crack down on the sector across South Africa’s north-eastern mining belt.
