Seven bodies of zama zamas (local name for illegal miners in South Africa who come from neighboring countries such as Lesotho, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) were pulled from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein in the North West province of South Africa, local news outlet EWN said, citing local officials.
According to the media, people were trapped in the shaft since mid-November. The report added that on Wednesday, 15 zama zamas resurfaced through an exit of Harmony Gold mine's Margaret Shaft.
"A total of 26 illegal miners resurfaced from underground at Margaret Shaft between Tuesday, 03 and Wednesday, 04 December 2024, as Operation Vala Umgodi continues," Seabata Mokgwabone, provincial police spokesperson, told local media.
On Wednesday, the press service of the South African government said that about 150 zama zamas were trapped in an abandoned mine in Sabie. According to the report, six people were pulled from the shaft, three miners are reportedly dead.
The government noted that while patrolling the nearby fields, the security company's K9 members came upon four guys who seemed to be fleeing for their lives. These individuals, who turned out to be suspected illegal miners, told the security officers that they were stuck in an abandoned mine with other people, the report said.
In mid-November, head of joint army operations Siphiwe Sangweni said at the meeting of the South African Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Defense that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa authorized the deployment of 1,000 more soldiers to the north of the country in the area of an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein.