Police, razor wire await illegal miners

JOHANNESBURG: Emergency services yesterday had to coax frightened illegal miners out of a Benoni shaft that was blocked by a rival group on Saturday.

“One of the illegal miners surfaced this morning but went down to try and convince others to come up when he heard the opening would be closed,” rescue technician David Tshabalala said.

“The illegal miners did not want to come up. The total of miners that surfaced today is 11, bringing the overall number to 22. It is unclear how many are still underground.”

The others feared they’d be arrested for illegal mining, like those who had left before them.

Tshabalala said the mineral resources department would close the opened shaft in a bid to stop illegal mining, and gave the miners notice about this yesterday. “We will give those underground ample time to get out, but will have to close it,” he said.

By 6.15pm, emergency services suspended operations. Tshabalala said police and mine security would remain overnight. The 11 who resurfaced were handed to police after medical checks.

Police set up razor wire around the shaft to prevent rescued miners from escaping prosecution. “There is an opening and we sent a chain down that we can pull them up with,” Tshabalala said. – Own Correspondent and Sapa