Court rules police not responsible for feeding Stilfontein miners

By Johnathan Paoli

The North Gauteng High Court has rejected an application by the community organization Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) to compel the state to provide food and water to trapped miners in Stilfontein, North West province.

Supported by Lawyers for Human Rights, MACUA appeared before the North Gauteng High Court on Friday, seeking urgent intervention in the humanitarian crisis. The application targeted multiple government entities, including the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, and the Ministers of Mineral Resources, Police, and Social Development.

Annamarie de Vos, counsel for the organization, argued that the responsibility to rescue the miners rests with the state, represented by the police.

“You can never say that any right supersedes the right to life, and without food these miners will die. The Constitution says the State is responsible for protecting lives and under Section 5, the police have a