'We must address it as a crime': Mantashe on Stilfontein illegal miners

Minister of mineral resources and energy Gwede Mantashe has issued a stern warning to Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), urging them to not overlook the criminal aspects of illegal mining while prioritising the rescue of miners underground.

This comes as the government embarks on a rescue operation at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in Stilfontein, where 109 bodies were discovered in shafts 10 and 11.

Macua has consistently advocated for the right to life of the trapped miners and for government assistance in providing relief.

Mantashe said the NGO should be careful not to promote criminality.

“One of the things that surprises me in South Africa is when South Africans place human rights at the centre of criminal activities. That worries me, because it suggests that we are preaching tolerance for criminality,” Mantashe said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.

“Macua should be careful not to promote criminality and to say we must protect criminality against justice and fairness.”

He highlighted the significant economic impact of illegal mining, estimating that it resulted in a loss of around R60bn in 2024.

“That is a significant leakage from the value of the economy, and therefore we cannot be merciful in dealing with that criminal activity. We must address it as a crime and acknowledge that the people underground entered voluntarily into a risky situation.”

More than 1,500 illegal miners have resurfaced, with some still trapped underground.

It had emerged in court papers that the government had been at odds with Buffelsfontein Gold Mine over who should bear the R12m rescue costs. Mantashe said the government would assist in funding the operation.

“They [Buffelsfontein Gold Mine] take responsibility, but we had to raise funds from various sources, including my department. We had to talk to a lot of people to fund the operation.”

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