S. A Police Welcome Court Order Protecting Illegal Miners at Stilfontein

S. A Police have welcomed an interim court order issued by the Gauteng High Court yesterday for the protection of illegal miners still underground at the disused Stilfontein mines near Klerksdorp in North West. The order provides the miners the opportunity to exit voluntarily and prohibits the blocking of the shafts. Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe says SAPS static deployment operations continue at all abandoned and disused mining shafts in the area.

Meanwhile, COPE demands that government takes urgent action to enforce the Mining Rehabilitation and Mine Closure Act, following the tragedy in Stilfontein. COPE’s Erick Mohlapamaswi says the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s failure to ensure mine rehabilitation and closure has left illegal miners in dangerous conditions, exposing the government’s serious neglect: