Rescue operation at Buffelsfontein gold mine. [Picture: Alfonso Nqunjana/AP]
A rescue operation at the abandoned Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, North West, has been called off after just four days, despite expectations that it would take two weeks.
According to Mannas Fourie, CEO of Mines Rescue Services, who spoke to Newzroom Afrika at the site on Thursday, the decision to withdraw came after a search of the area revealed no signs of life.
“Last night, we came out with the last cage with the two gentlemen that have assisted us from the local community, and they confirmed that all the people have been taken out and no bodies have been left behind,” Fourie said.
Rescuers used a camera to inspect a mine shaft, which reached depths of up to two kilometres. After scanning the area, Fourie confirmed that no additional miners were found.
“We couldn’t detect any movement on that level. Thereafter, we went down deeper into the shaft, to about 2 100 meters, and we scanned the whole shaft. Right at the bottom, we detected water and we couldn’t see anything further,” he added.
A total of 78 deceased miners were recovered, and 216 survivors rescued, from the shaft. The police reported that 1 576 miners managed to leave the site on their own between August and the start of the rescue operation, with 121 of them being deported.
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Operation Vala Umgodi to continue
Despite the rescue operation concluding, law enforcement efforts continue. Athlenda Mathe, national spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS), stressed that Operation Vala Umgodi would remain active in the area.
“We are going to continue with our operations. Operation Vala Umgodi is going nowhere, we are here to stay. We will leave at a time when this particular hole is sealed and rehabilitated,” Mathe stated.
She warned that withdrawing before the site is properly secured could lead to further illegal mining activities, which could endanger more lives.
For many of the miners, the work in these dangerous conditions was a desperate attempt to survive. Moeketsi Khati, an illegal miner, spoke candidly about the hardships that led him – and others – to take the risk.
“People come from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, where there is no life like here in South Africa. They come here to risk their lives to make their families survive, and our government treats them like this? It’s so painful,” Khati told CGTN Africa.
Khati expressed frustration with the lack of job opportunities, which he said pushed many to turn to illegal gold mining as a way to provide for their families.
“I don’t want to be a criminal,” he said. “I don’t want to rob people. I took a decision to take my own risk and go to the abandoned shafts to get some gold. Our government doesn’t provide us with jobs, so we saw job opportunities in this,” he explained.
The Stilfontein mine disaster highlights the dangers of illegal mining in South Africa, where illicit operations continue to claim lives. Authorities are under increasing pressure to address both the social and economic factors driving illicit mining, while also ensuring the safety and security of the affected communities.
As the rescue operation concludes and teams depart, the focus will shift to sealing the mine and preventing future tragedies. However, with widespread unemployment and economic hardship in neighboring countries, the allure of quick profits from illegal mining remains strong.
