In South Africa, the government has stopped food and water supplies to about 4,000 illegal miners hiding underground in an effort to force them to come out.
These miners, known as “zama zama” (meaning “take a chance” in Zulu), have been trapped in an abandoned mineshaft in Stilfontein, North West province, for a month.
Many of them are undocumented immigrants from neighboring countries like Lesotho and Mozambique, and they fear being deported if they leave.
The miners work in these dangerous underground conditions to dig up gold, which they sell illegally. This illegal mining costs the country millions of dollars each year.
Over time, the miners have created a small economy, with people selling food and goods to them underground. However, the government now aims to end this practice, calling it a criminal activity.
The authorities are using the strategy of cutting off supplies to “smoke out” the miners. So far, about 1,000 miners have been arrested as they emerge from the mine, weak and frail. Some miners are even part of criminal syndicates, which adds to the complexity of the operation.
Despite local residents pleading for help, the government is firm in its decision, refusing to support what they call criminals.
The situation underground is dire, with reports of decomposing bodies and some miners dying in the mine. The South African Human Rights Commission is concerned that the operation could violate the miners’ right to life.
While some South Africans support the government’s firm stance, others feel the approach is too harsh, saying the miners are desperate and should be treated with more humanity.
BBC reports that this operation is part of a larger effort to fight illegal mining and its environmental harm.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgdzggvgwqo