Staff Reporter
Illegal miners who perished in Stilfontein’s abandoned mine shafts, including Lesotho nationals, will be given pauper’s burials if their bodies remain unclaimed, South African authorities confirmed this week.
As of this week, only five families had come forward to identify the deceased.
Since last August, a total of about 78 bodies have been recovered, according to North West MEC for Health, Sello Lehari, who provided an update during a media briefing in Rustenburg on Wednesday.
“We have retrieved 78 bodies following the rescue operation,” Lehari said. “Our department has been working tirelessly with medical professionals to ensure that every step, from retrieval to postmortem examinations, has been conducted with the utmost diligence.”
The bodies have been transported to different government mortuaries: 21 to Klerksdorp, 16 to Potchefstroom, and 42 to Brits.
As of Monday, January 13, 39 injured illegal miners were hospitalised. Lehari confirmed that 31 have since been discharged, while two succumbed to their injuries.
Lehari stated that a pauper’s funeral will be arranged for unidentified victims once all stakeholders reach an agreement.
The miners became trapped following a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining at abandoned shafts. Many of those arrested or killed were undocumented migrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Lesotho.
In January, bodies were extracted from the disused Shaft 11 during a rescue operation led by mine rescue services.
Authorities intensified efforts to curb illegal mining in November last year, particularly at Buffelsfontein Mine in Stilfontein, where police surrounded the entrance and prevented food and water from reaching those trapped underground.
Before the rescue operation began, local community members attempted to intervene by lowering a rope into the shaft to pull some of the miners out. They also sent messages down, assuring those inside that help was on the way.
The once-thriving mining industry, a pillar of South Africa’s economy, has been shrinking for years, leaving thousands of shafts abandoned. Despite the risks, the lure of gold continues to attract desperate miners, many of whom are undocumented and willing to risk their lives for a chance at striking it rich.
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