02:54Locals in Stilfontein are calling on the South African government to rescue about 4,000 'illegal' miners trapped in a closed mineshaft in the country's North West province.
Drone footage captured on Wednesday shows authorities surrounding an opening leading into the mine while residents and relatives of the stranded miners are seen waiting along roadsides in video recorded on the ground.
Police have reportedly closed access to the mine and cut off supplies as part of an official policy against illegal mining. The scheme aims to draw the workers to the surface, where they will be arrested.
"We've got more than 4,000 people who are stuck underground," a South Africa's National Civics Association spokesperson said. "We do understand that these are illegal miners, but they are still human beings."
"There is some sort of a blanket approach used to say that these are foreign nationals and are illegal miners, which is also misleading", he continued. "We also have our own South African citizens who are stuck, and a few of them have been taken out just recently."
One local woman claimed her husband has been in the mine for 'four months', and she has been left without an income to support her children. "I don't have money for food. I don't have money for anything," she said.
At the time of publication, Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has refused to send supplies to the miners.
"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn't send them there," he said.
Illegal mining organisations are a persistent problem in South Africa, with reports emerging of armed workers belonging to criminal syndicates committing robberies and rape in local communities.
'More than 4,000 stuck underground' - Locals demand action to rescue 'illegal' workers trapped in South African mine
Locals in Stilfontein are calling on the South African government to rescue about 4,000 'illegal' miners trapped in a closed mineshaft in the country's North West province.
Drone footage captured on Wednesday shows authorities surrounding an opening leading into the mine while residents and relatives of the stranded miners are seen waiting along roadsides in video recorded on the ground.
Police have reportedly closed access to the mine and cut off supplies as part of an official policy against illegal mining. The scheme aims to draw the workers to the surface, where they will be arrested.
"We've got more than 4,000 people who are stuck underground," a South Africa's National Civics Association spokesperson said. "We do understand that these are illegal miners, but they are still human beings."
"There is some sort of a blanket approach used to say that these are foreign nationals and are illegal miners, which is also misleading", he continued. "We also have our own South African citizens who are stuck, and a few of them have been taken out just recently."
One local woman claimed her husband has been in the mine for 'four months', and she has been left without an income to support her children. "I don't have money for food. I don't have money for anything," she said.
At the time of publication, Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has refused to send supplies to the miners.
"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn't send them there," he said.
Illegal mining organisations are a persistent problem in South Africa, with reports emerging of armed workers belonging to criminal syndicates committing robberies and rape in local communities.
Locals in Stilfontein are calling on the South African government to rescue about 4,000 'illegal' miners trapped in a closed mineshaft in the country's North West province.
Drone footage captured on Wednesday shows authorities surrounding an opening leading into the mine while residents and relatives of the stranded miners are seen waiting along roadsides in video recorded on the ground.
Police have reportedly closed access to the mine and cut off supplies as part of an official policy against illegal mining. The scheme aims to draw the workers to the surface, where they will be arrested.
"We've got more than 4,000 people who are stuck underground," a South Africa's National Civics Association spokesperson said. "We do understand that these are illegal miners, but they are still human beings."
"There is some sort of a blanket approach used to say that these are foreign nationals and are illegal miners, which is also misleading", he continued. "We also have our own South African citizens who are stuck, and a few of them have been taken out just recently."
One local woman claimed her husband has been in the mine for 'four months', and she has been left without an income to support her children. "I don't have money for food. I don't have money for anything," she said.
At the time of publication, Cabinet Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has refused to send supplies to the miners.
"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out. They will come out. Criminals are not to be helped; criminals are to be prosecuted. We didn't send them there," he said.
Illegal mining organisations are a persistent problem in South Africa, with reports emerging of armed workers belonging to criminal syndicates committing robberies and rape in local communities.