South Africa: There are dead bodies underground, illegal miners claim

By Mark Ogagan

The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) says the illegal miners who have emerged from Shaft 12 at the Stilfontein mine, have indicated that there are bodies underground.

This as more illegal miners have resurfaced from the shaft in the North West mine today.

Macua’s national coordinator, Meshack Mbangula, says they spoke to the two groups of miners who have emerged recently while they were in custody.

“Those who went out of Margaret and the one that who came out of the new shaft, Shaft number 10 and asked them those that came out of Margaret, how are things going. They said that there is nothing. The only thing that is there is that people are dehydrated, people are hungry and are starving.

“Some of them, have indicated that there are dead bodies in there. The second group we spoke to indicated that there is nothing of people who are having guns. He even said, unless they are hiding those guns in the pockets.”