Nearly 80 illegal miners who were trapped and starving underground were rescued and arrested by the police, while the four decomposed bodies were brought up from a shaft in Orkney, near Potchefstroom in the North West.
The rescue mission which began from Thursday April 15 and ended on Monday, April 18, saw 77 illegal miners who were starving underground handing themselves over for arrest. Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, the South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson said the rescue mission came when the illegal miners asked for help as they were trapped underground and staving.
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“During the operation conducted at shaft 5 in Orkney, four decomposed bodies were brought up by the illegal miners on April 15. Of the 77 arrested illegal miners who were all medically examined, 60 are from Lesotho, 13 from Mozambique and four are Zimbabwean nationals.”
Mokgwabone said the arrested illegal miners were expected to appear at the Orkney magistrates court on Tuesday to face charges of trespassing, illegal mining and contravention of section 49(1)(a) of the Immigration Act. Mokgwabone said the formal identification of the four deceased illegal immigrants was underway.
Dr Kenneth Kaunda, the District Police Commissioner and Major General Suzette Pretorius, applauded all the team members who worked tirelessly throughout Easter to save the illegal miners who were trapped underground and also ensured they were arrested to face the full might of the law.
Source: Times Live, IOL, The South African, image from Times Live of some of the miners who were rescued
