North West police, working under the anti-illicit mining operation Vala Umgodi, remain vigilant at various shafts of an abandoned gold mine as more miners are expected to resurface. Since Sunday night, more than 30 suspected miners have emerged from underground, bringing the total number of those who have surfaced since August to over 1,300.
On Wednesday morning, police confirmed that 20 illegal miners had resurfaced from the Margaret Shaft. The group included 10 Lesotho nationals, six Zimbabweans, and four Mozambicans. All suspects are now being processed and face charges related to illegal mining and violations of the Immigration Act for those in the country unlawfully.
This latest surge follows claims from some miners that they were held underground and forced to work by heavily armed men, identified only as Basotho, raising concerns about human trafficking, forced labor, and child exploitation. Among those arrested since August, 96 children have been detained, further intensifying these fears.
North West Social Development MEC Sussa Dantjie provided an update on 14 children, believed to be from Mozambique, who are currently in the care of temporary safety facilities. "The children's ages are being assessed by the Department of Health, and this is an ongoing process involving multiple stakeholders, including the SAPS and international social services," Dantjie said. The children will appear before a children’s court, and each case is being handled individually.
As the operation continues, authorities are focusing on both cracking down on illegal mining and addressing the humanitarian issues arising from the situation.