Mine Safety Officer Details Dangers of Illegal Mining As Over 1,000 Men Resurface From Underground

• Over 1.000 illegal miners were forced to resurface from underground thanks to SAPS and the SANDF
• Operation Vala Umgodi cut off supplies of food and water to the miners, forcing them to come out
• Mine safety officer Kershia Sewshankar detailed the dangers these miners faced daily

The problem of illegal mining continues to make headlines in the country as Operation Vala Umgodi continues.

The operation, conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS), has been cracking down on illegal miners in the Klerksdorp area.

Since the start of the operation, over 1,000 miners have been forced to resurface and have since been arrested.

The men were forced to resurface after Operation Vala Umgodi cut off their access to food and water, leading to cases of starvation and dehydration.

While that alone is a risk the miners take, a safety officer detailed some of the other threats. Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, Kershia Sewshankar shared her personal experience of dealing with zama zamas as well as the risks they encounter while trying to mine underground.

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No proper equipment

Sewshankar explained that one of the biggest risks was that miners never used proper equipment and often relied on candles and other means to see underground.

With many of the mines being abandoned for so long, the risk of flammable gasses being present down there is massive.

“It’s a huge risk as no one tests for gasses in those areas. Even the cables they cut may cause an explosion,” she warned.

She also warned that there were risks of miners getting lost and trapped or even a risk of drowning if miners opened a sealed-off area.

Lack of sunlight affects mental health

Sewshankar also noted how being underground for so long affected the mental well-being of miners.

She said that miner’s mental health was threatened as they went weeks and even months in the darkness, with only their fellow miners around.

“At South Witbank Mine, a cable thief was described as being crazy, and his body language was that of a wild cat,” she said.

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Miners attack when threatened

Having come face to face with the illegal miners, she warned that it was a no-go zone as miners attacked when threatened.

While many operate in abandoned mines, many try their luck at mines still operating. Sewshankar explained that it was a huge loss for mines when cables were stolen, which halted production. Cable theft often happened at night, when illegal miners were less likely to be caught.

SAPS arrest over 140 zama zamas

In another article, Briefly News reported that the police in the North West arrested over 140 illegal miners.

The police pounced on them at a mine in Stilfontein in Potchefstroom and cuffed them. Many of them were undocumented foreign nationals.

Source: Briefly News