The case of 14 Mozambican illegal miners who were arrested after they resurfaced from the abandoned Stilfontein gold mine in the North West this week has been postponed to December 10.
The illegal miners were arrested on Sunday night after they resurfaced from the abandoned Stilfontein mine.
North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said the suspects were remanded in police custody and will return to the Stilfontein magistrate’s court in 12 days.
The suspects are facing charges of illegal mining and contravention of the Immigration Act. Among them is a 14-year-old Mozambican boy.
Mokgwabone said the minor will be handled in terms of the Child Justice Act.
The Department of Home Affairs will also work with social workers and a doctor to confirm the age of the minor.
Similarly, 20 more illegal miners resurfaced from Margaret Shaft of the abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein on Wednesday afternoon.
They are expected to appear at the Stilfontein magistrate’s court today.
Mokgwabone said the illegal miners consist of 10 Lesotho nationals, six Zimbabweans and four Mozambicans.
Mine rescue experts
Last week, the government deployed mine rescue experts to the abandoned mine in a bid to help the illegal miners resurface from underground.
North West MEC for community safety and transport management Wessels Morweng said the government will use a machine to lift and take out the illegal miners still trapped underground.
Morweng said the government will not disclose the finer details of how the plan will be executed.
He said no police officers will be sent underground the old, abandoned Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein to rescue the illegal miners.
Two weeks ago, residents of Khuma near Stilfontein gathered near the abandoned mine to help rescue the miners.
Khuma community leaders said about 4 500 illegal miners were trapped underground. This number was disputed by the police.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has denied claims that the miners are trapped underground.
Two weeks ago, the decomposed body of an illegal miner was recovered by the police from the disused mine.
Mathe said police are yet to establish the identity of the miner and the cause of his death.
An inquest docket has been opened to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the illegal miner.
Operation Vala Umgodi
In the past three weeks, more than 1 000 illegal miners resurfaced from an abandoned mineshaft in Orkney, North West. This was because of the police’s Operation Vala Umgodi that began in December last year.
Since its inception to date, more than 13 691 suspects have been arrested in seven provinces that are hotspots for illegal mining.
Police have also seized R5-million in cash and uncut diamonds worth R32-million through Operation Vala Umgodi.
The majority of those that have been arrested include, but are not limited to, South Africans, Mozambicans, and Basotho nationals.
