SA Govt in “stand-off” with illegal miners at disused gold mine

HUNDREDS of illegal miners may yet be underground at a disused gold shaft in South Africa’s North West province, said Reuters describing what it said was “a standoff” with police at the site.Police have been trying for weeks to empty the abandoned gold mine as part of a crackdown on illegal mining, which has plagued South Africa for decades through small-time pilfering and organised criminal networks, the newswire said. It quoted a cabinet minister as saying the government was trying to “smoke them out”.More than 1,000 illegal miners had returned to surface after police cut food and water supplies but more could still be underground. A decomposed body was brought up on Thursday, with pathologists on the scene, said Reuters citing police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.On Wednesday, asked whether the government would send help to the zama-zamas – a local term for illegal miners from the Zulu expression for “taking a chance” – Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said: “We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out.”Senior police and defence officials are expected to visit the area on Friday to “reinforce the government’s commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion”, according to a media advisory from the police.Illegal gold mining costs South Africa’s government and industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost sales, taxes and royalties, according to an estimate by a mining industry body, said Reuters.The post SA Govt in “stand-off” with illegal miners at disused gold mine appeared first on Miningmx.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com