Political parties are calling for a commission of inquiry to be set up following the deaths of miners at the disused Stilfontein mines in the North West.
Image: Supplied
Political parties are calling for a commission of inquiry to be set up following the deaths of miners at the disused Stilfontein mines in the North West.
The Congress of the People's Pakes Dikgetsi said no human should be subjected to life-threatening and inhumane conditions.
"The gruesome and horrific pictures and information surfacing now show a government hellbent on using starvation, dehumanisation, and other forms of violence, which have led to the slow and painful death of desperate people trying to eke out a living in the deepest pits of the earth," he said.
The Democratic Alliance's James Lorimer added that it has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish an inquiry.
He said the commission of inquiry must investigate the role of government agencies and the failures of government bodies , the involvement of the private, the cause of the crisis, the impact of Zama-Zama operations, look government's conduct in rescue operations and what preventative measures could have been taken.
The Economic Freedom Fighters said the successful rescue of miners, both living and dead, was avoidable if government had taken timely and humane action.
Rescue operations have wrapped up in the North West where hundreds of miners were trapped underground at the Stilfontein disused mine shafts.
Image: SAPS
"The court's intervention proves that alternative approaches that respect human rights and involve community engagement, can and should have been employed from the outset. Instead, the government's refusal to act earlier resulted in unnecessary suffering and loss of life, even after young boys, trafficked and abused in these mines, resurfaced," the party said.
The EFF added that the disaster is a grim reflection of the incompetence of law enforcement, the failure of intelligence services, and the dehumanisation of black and undocumented individuals in South Africa.
The Stilfontein Crisis Committee has also stated its intention for an inquiry.
The commission's Christopher Rutledge, accused government of making comments while the miners were underground, indicating its intention of killing them.
He said the committee is considering a number of legal options including charging individuals and the state for murder.
Trade union, the General Industries Workers Union of SA further condemned the ordeal.
These miners were part of a larger group that languished underground for more than two months after a stand-off with policing and mining authorities over illegal mining activities at disused mine shafts.
Operations are being set up to rescue illegal miners and retrieve bodies of the deceased at Stilfontein mine.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
According to police, 246 illegal miners were rescued this week. A further 78 dead bodies were pulled from the mine.
"This tragic incident underscores the ongoing challenges posed by illegal mining and the government's commitment to addressing this crisis," said police ministry spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi.
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