North West police spokesperson Adéle Myburgh says they will continue to have members posted at mine shafts in Stilfontein.

This comes as 1420 illegal miners have resurfaced at various abandoned mine shafts.

“Up until Friday, December 6 – a total of 1414 illegal miners resurfaced at various abandoned mine shafts and Margaret mine shaft in Stilfontein. Eight bodies in total were recovered at Buffelsfontein number 11 Shaft.On Saturday morning, six more illicit miners surfaced at Margaret shaft. They were all Mozambican foreign nationals,” Myburg said.

Meanwhile, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has blamed government for the escalation of illegal mining in the country.

Hundreds of illegal miners have been underground, following the police’s Operation Val’ Umgodi, under which the supply of food and water to illegal miners was stopped in a bid to force them to resurface.

In Mpumalanga, some rescued illegal miners claim to be victims of human trafficking.

Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa adds the situation is dire.

“The problem is very deep. We just see people who are called illegal miners entering these abandoned mines- but we need to look at the source of the problem. The government itself is lacking, or it does not have capacity, or sleeping on duty- because we do have regulations that says each and every mine, once has finished its mining life span- they have to be closed. There are procedures and processes that have to be followed, until such time the certificate is issued,” he says.

#sapsNW [UPDATE] Up until Friday, 06/12, a total of 1 414 illegal miners resurfaced at various abandoned mine shafts and Margaret mine shaft in Stilfontein. Eight bodies in total were recovered at Buffelsfontein nr 11 Shaft.
On Saturday morning, 07/12, six more illicit miners… https://t.co/KZ8GWut31y pic.twitter.com/FlaTVNtm0y

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) December 8, 2024