FOURTEEN illegal miners were arrested on Sunday night after emerging from the closed Buffelsfontein mine near Stilfontein, according to a report by TimesLive.
One of the miners was a 14 year old boy, the publication said citing police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe. “They chose to come out late at night, thinking police are not standing static, Mathe said.
“Others ran back into the shaft as soon as they noticed the police presence. This shows the two shafts are linked and no-one is trapped. They can come out but are refusing to resurface because they are avoiding arrest,” she said.
The miners told police they were being ordered to continue digging for gold by a group of ten heavily armed men.
“The illegal miners were interviewed and they confirmed what we have been saying, that they are heavily armed men down there,” said Mathe. “It shows our intelligence is at work and they confirmed what we suspected.
“They told us the food and water that has been sent down was confiscated by the heavily armed men and not given to the miners. They are keeping it for themselves because they want to continue illegal mining operations,” she said.
Mathe said police operations continue.
More than 1,000 illegal miners have resurfaced in recent weeks after Operation Vala Umgodi was mounted by police in the North West province.
Police and soldiers began by blocking supplies of food, water and other necessities to the illegal miners in mid-October.
