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In the darkness of small, damp caves, dozens of miners endured unimaginable suffering. Cramped in spaces so shallow they couldn’t stand, the air was thick with the stench of death, unwashed bodies, and damp rock. Wracking coughs echoed as men weakened by starvation lay huddled together.
Nearby, rows of bodies wrapped in fabric and twine bore silent testimony to the toll of months spent underground in an abandoned gold mine near Stilfontein, South Africa.
Desperation Underground
The miners, part of nearly 2,000 illegal diggers, found themselves trapped after police launched a crackdown to “smoke them out” by cutting off food and supplies. The operation aimed to tackle illegal mining, a multibillion-dollar industry blamed for robbing South Africa’s economy of over $3 billion annually.
Videos sent to the surface earlier this month captured their plight: emaciated men surviving on salt after food supplies ran out, smoking cigarettes and marijuana when work ceased, and witnessing fellow miners succumb to hunger and illness.
One survivor, a 40-year-old father of six, recounted his harrowing experience after entering the mine in July. “By September, things were really bad. People started getting hungry, getting sick, and dying. There’s nothing worse than watching someone die when you can’t do anything to help,” he told the Associated Press, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals.
When the crackdown began, food deliveries—typically bread, porridge, and meat—ceased, leaving the miners to starve. By December, the man risked his life to climb out through a separate shaft, navigating steel stairs littered with corpses and bones of others who had tried and failed to escape.
A Deadly Gamble for Survival
Illegal mining is a desperate gamble for many living in poverty, especially in townships near South Africa’s 6,100 disused mines. Promised earnings of up to $5,300 for a few weeks’ work—a significant sum in a country plagued by unemployment and inequality—lure miners into this perilous trade.
Many miners come from neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Lesotho, some bringing their children into the deadly cycle. Thirteen children were among those who emerged from the Stilfontein mine last year.
The Stilfontein operation also implicated surface runners like Lucky Mbizana, who sent food and supplies into the shafts. Lucky, who now walks on crutches, described being blinded by tear gas during the raid. “The teargas blinded me. I fell, broke my leg, and collapsed,” he said.
Tragedy and Accountability
The crackdown led to a rescue operation earlier this week under court order. Authorities confirmed at least 87 deaths as dozens of bodies were pulled from the mine. Activists have criticized the government for its delayed response, accusing officials of failing to act earlier to prevent the tragedy.
While the government has acknowledged the loss of life as a tragedy, officials insist that illegal mining is a criminal enterprise that harms South Africa’s economy and local communities. Mines Minister Gwede Mantashe blamed those profiting from the trade, while Police Minister Senzo Mchunu vowed to investigate the entire value chain, including beneficiaries of illegal mining.
“Illegal mining is robbing South Africa of a lot of money,” Mchunu said, adding that authorities are investigating where the mined gold ends up.
A Growing Crisis
Illegal mining remains a dangerous yet lucrative lifeline for South Africa’s poorest, driven by desperation and a lack of alternatives. The Stilfontein tragedy is a stark reminder of the human cost of this underground economy and the urgent need for comprehensive solutions that address both the economic drivers and the organized networks profiting from the trade.
For survivors and families of those lost, the scars of Stilfontein will linger long after the mine shafts are emptied.
