Five Zimbabwean and one Mozambican illegal miners resurfaced at the Stilfontein mine shaft on Saturday, police have confirmed.
North West police spokesperson Adele Myburgh told Sunday World that this brings the number of illegal miners that have surfaced from the three Stilfontein mine shafts – Margaret, shaft 10 and shaft 11 – since August 18, to 1 550. Sixty of them since Monday.
She said 1 417 emerged from the Margaret shaft.
The Margaret shaft is still operational
“Most have come out of Margaret because it is actually still operational. It’s got cages etcetera. Actually, they are pumping water out of it at the moment,” she said.
She said 38 came out of shaft 11 but “unfortunately six were dead”.
Ninety-five emerged from shaft 10.
Myburgh said 10 came out on Friday, 18 on Saturday and the six today
Nine bodies recovered and unpolished diamonds seized
She said in total, nine bodies have been recovered.
Arrive Alive reported that on Friday Operation Vala Umgodi uncovered unpolished diamonds during a raid at the Nattubooi informal settlement in Kleinzee.
The multi-disciplinary team that included the police and members of the South African National Defence Force was acting on intelligence.
The team quickly sprung into action with the army cordoning off the settlement while police went in to search each household.
Suspected illegal immigrants held
Fifteen undocumented persons – 10 men and five women aged between 40 and 49 years – were arrested. The police also confiscated two jackhammers from an undocumented female suspect. A 20-year-old South African man was also arrested when suspected unpolished diamonds were found in his possession.
- Additional reporting by Arrive Alive
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