Sabie – Another illegal miner has been rescued from a disused mine in Sabie near Mashishing (formerly Lydenburg), Mpumalanga.
The man was rescued Thursday morning, (5 December 2024).
The ongoing rescue operation involving a mine rescue team and police has also retrieved three lifeless bodies.
As many as 100 illegal miners – better known as Zama Zamas – are reportedly trapped underground.
By mid-morning nine Zama Zamas had been rescued and brought to the surface through a tiny hole. They were hoisted with a rope from deep below.
Preliminary investigation revealed that among the rescued Zama Zamas, four of them were South Africans.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said: “The [rescue] operation at South Mine, Sabie is proceeding after it was temporarily halted last night. The first man has been brought to the surface”.
He said the rescued illegal miners, who are foreign nationals, will face charges related to the contravention of an Immigration Act.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited the Sabie area on Thursday, where he led Operation Vala Umgodi, which included the continuing rescue effort.
General Masemola revealed that more than 15 000 illegal miners had been arrested countrywide under Operation Vala Umgodi.
“There are still more than 100 illegal miners who are still stuck underground [in Sabie] as we speak,” General Masemola told reporters.
“Those who were retrieved will be arrested and face various charges as most of them are in the country illegally.
“They will be facing charges related to the Immigration Act and the mining they were doing without the applicable permit.
“We are making progress countrywide with more than 15 000 arrests since we started.”
General Masemola said more needs to be done.
By late Thursday afternoon, the number of rescued Zama Zamas had more than doubled to 20.
