The incident reportedly began when workers at the GoldOne-East Modderfontein mine in Springs went down for their night shift on Sunday and were subsequently prevented from coming back up.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) reportedly pointed the finger at the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), accusing it of holding the miners hostage.
For its part, the AMCU said it's still trying to determine exactly what happened. The union later claimed that a miners' sit-in was taking place inside the mine. The NUM has categorically denied the claim that its members are staging a sit-in.
The situation remains precarious as both unions struggle with conflicting narratives.
According to Jonathan Hericourt, the GoldOne Group's VP Operations, the NUM is the main union at the GoldOne-East Modderfontein mine, but in recent months there's been a push to recognize AMCU - resulting in various court cases.
Hericourt noted that last week AMCU applied to the courts for permission to strike and that the outcome is currently pending.
According to local media reports, AMCU and GoldOne management are expected to meet later today to discuss a way forward to get the workers out of the mine.
As tensions escalate, local law enforcement is on high alert. Gauteng police confirmed the reports of the situation to the national media, saying their officers are currently on standby and closely monitoring developments.