Various police units, emergency medical personnel and others are outside an abandoned mine in Sabie, Mpumalanga, where about 150 illegal miners are reported to be trapped.

Provincial police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli says at least six illegal miners have come to the surface. Two of them are foreign nationals and four are South Africans, who claimed that their captors forced them to mine gold under dangerous conditions.

Last week, police ran into alleged illegal miners and a shootout ensued. Three alleged illegal miners were shot dead and a police officer wounded.

Brigadier Mdhluli says, “Illegal miners are said to have been trapped underground in an abandoned mine in Sabie and six re-surfaced and three reportedly died.”

Mdhluli says some of those who are still underground are believed to be armed.

“We also got information that this 150 that are still underground, they were forced to mine under these guys that are armed,” he says.

Meanwhile, the High Court in Pretoria has ruled that the Minister of Police is in breach of an earlier court order obtained by the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) that ordered that they be allowed to provide food, water and medicine to illegal mineworkers in Stilfontein in North West.

According to the latest court order, the Minister of Police was in breach as they are limiting the type and amount of food, as well as medicine and batteries that was being provided to illegal mine workers underground.

The sheriff of the court has been allowed to assist with the implementation of the order. The application that miners be allowed assistance underground will be heard tomorrow.

Stilfontein | Residents start process of sending food to illegal miners: