Stilfontein illegal miners should surface and face the law

While Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s vow to “smoke out” illegal miners at Stilfontein is understandable, emotions should be put aside in instances like these.

Ntshavheni last week said “we are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped. We didn’t send them there”.

Her Police counterpart, Senzo Mchunu, was more conciliatory, saying the government wanted to save lives and end the situation safely.

Since then, the police continue to arrest illegal miners who emerge from a disused gold mine where hundreds, possibly thousands, of people are in hiding in dangerous conditions.

Essentially, the miners have to risk their lives in the mine or surface and be arrested.

Illegal miners, known as zama zamas (which means take a chance in Zulu) have been a thorn in the flesh for law enforcement for many years.

In August 2022, eight models were raped when a television crew filming a music video at a mine dump was attacked by heavily armed men, believed to be illegal miners.

It was one of the worst crimes on record involving zama zamas and prompted angry residents of Krugersdorp to attack illegal miners.

In a country that’s been ravaged by criminals, including zama zamas Ntshavheni’s utterances made perfect sense and speaks of a minister who has had enough.

But emotions should be put aside when dealing with the sensitive situation, especially where lives are on the line. The Bill of Rights states that “everyone has inherent dignity” and “has the right to life”.

The zama zamas at Stilfontein should be brought to the surface and made to face the music for their actions. This, and not leaving them to starve to death, will send a strong message that illegal mining will not be tolerated in the country.

Cape Times