By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The SA Police Services (SAPS) has confirmed the decomposed body of an illegal miner has been recovered from the Stilfontein mine in North West.
North West police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, said that the identity of the man was yet to be confirmed.
“We can confirm there is a body that has been retrieved but the operation is still underway, although I’m told there is a bit of a challenge but I’m still on my way there.”
Around 20 people have surfaced from the mineshaft this week as police wait nearby to arrest all those appearing from underground.
It comes a day after minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the government was trying to “smoke them [the miners] out”.
“We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn’t send them there,” Ntshavheni said.
The move is part of the police’s ‘vala mgodi’ operation, whereby officers cut off supplies of food, water and other basic necessities to get those who have entered illegally to come out.
Fullview understands over four thousand illegal miners are believed to be trapped.
In the last few weeks, over 1,000 miners have surfaced at various mines in North West province, where police have cut off supplies.
Many of the miners were reported to be weak, hungry and sickly after going for weeks without basic supplies.
Illegal mining remains common in South Africa’s old gold-mining areas, with miners going into closed shafts to dig for any possible remaining deposits.