Stilfontein Mine: Teenager Among Illegal Miners Arrested During Operation, SA Speechless

• A 14-year-old teenager was among the illegal miners that were arrested after they resurfaced from the Stilfontein Mine in the North West
• The miners came to the surface at Shaft 10 on 24 November 2024 after over a month of remaining underground
• South Africans were stunned that a teenager was among those who were underground and had questions

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and heritage in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

STILFONTEIN, NORTH WEST — A teenager was among the illegal miners that emerged from the Stilfontein Mine in the North West, where more than 4,000 miners remain underground.

14-year-old among illegal miners

According to SABC News, 14 illegal miners, including a 14-year-old boy, resurfaced at Shaft 10 at night on 24 November 2024 and were arrested. The South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said they resurfaced at night, thinking the police were no longer deployed. Shaft 10 is also linked to Shaft 11.

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Mathe believes miners are not trapped and can come out independently, but they refuse to resurface because they do not want to be arrested. She added that the detained miners revealed that heavily armed men were in the shaft. These men reportedly confiscated the food provided to the miners.

What you need to know about the Stilfontein Mine

• The government refused to assist the over 4,000 miners who remained underground in the Stilfontein mine
• A safety officer highlighted the dangers of illegal mining and operating in mines that were shut down
• A decomposed body was found underground when more miners resurfaced on 14 November

South Africans have questions

Stunned South Africans on Facebook were stunned at the revelation that a teenager was also illegally mining.

Finish Peace said:

"All this noise about illegal miners at Stilfontein was a stand-off. These guys were not trapped."

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Sebogodi Motitswe said:

"Maybe he was dreaming of being a miner."

Mandla Mthembu said:

"So painful that a lot of them were forced to go underground."

Afri Can asked:

"What was a 14-year-old doing underground? He should be in school, writing exams."

Pri Scilla said:

"Imagine a minor being a zama zama."

Thuli Madonsela defends Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

In a related article, Briefly News reported that former public defender Thuli Madonsela defended Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.

Ntshavheni said the government would not assist the miners trapped underground. A netizen criticised her, and Madonsela defended Ntshavheni.

Source: Briefly News