By Johnathan Paoli
An operation by Mine Rescue Services to rescue illegal miners at Stilfontein in the North West is expected to start late on Monday or Tuesday, following intervention by the courts.
Ahead of the rescue, the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) and the Mineral Resources and Energy Department have been involved in a public spat over the rescue of the miners.
Hundreds of the miners are still underground since the police cut off supplies to them in August last year in an attempt to force them to resurface.
Macua on Sunday responded to claims by the department that it was in contempt of the court and its own voluntary decision to rescue the trapped miners.
Macua spokesperson Magnificent Mndebele urged the department to stop its political posturing and games, and instead focus on its mandate to “work with us to ensure the safe retrieval of those trapped underground”.
“If these state agencies had been committed to save lives, there would not have been a need for Macua to approach the High Court… to force these state agencies to allow food to be delivered down and to retrieve the trapped miners,” Mndebele said.
This follows a statement by the department which claimed that the state was appraising the court of the ongoing efforts by its agencies since December.
The department said that the decision to deploy rescue services was made independently and prior to the urgent application brought by Macua.
“This decision reflects unwavering commitment from the government and the sector, represented by the Minerals Council of South Africa, to facilitate the exit of those illegal miners who remain underground,” the department said.
However, Mndebele said that while the matter was under judicial management and not an order per se, state action was as a result of litigation by Macua through Lawyers for Human Rights.
In addition, he called for an amendment of mining laws, which have been abused and imposed on communities, in order to ensure that this kind of tragedy never happened again.
Meanwhile, the Mine Rescue Services (MRS) has confirmed the commencement of rescue operations at Shafts 10 and 11.
Mndebele said that the MRS received instruction from the department to save the trapped miners.
“As far as I understand, they’re still building the structure for the professional rescue. The rescue operations will take place for some days to come. It will not be done in one day,” Mndebele said.
MRS CEO Mannas Fourie said over the weekend that the road to the shafts as well as the surrounding ground area were being prepared to allow trucks and machinery to come through.
Fourie said that the ground works should be completed by Sunday evening or Monday morning to set up the rescue machine by Monday afternoon, and hoped not to be interrupted by rain.
A winder would be set up with a hoist to lower a cage underground.
Fourie said the cage would be able to hold six people at a time, maybe seven, depending on the size and weight of the miners, and that the cage would go down every hour.
He said that someone was required to be in the cage when it descended in order to open the gate and help miners in. Two community members have volunteered to do so.
Mndebele said that the MRS suggested that the bodies be retrieved first before the miners, since neither they nor the police were willing to retrieve them.
The hours of the operation are expected to run from 6am to 6pm.
The MRS will provide volunteers who are going underground with personal protective equipment to ensure their safety, as well as body bags for the deceased.
Macua said approximately 400 to 900 miners were still trapped underground. It has estimated that there are 100 bodies, however, miners are dying on a daily basis.
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