### Over 4,000 Illegal Miners in Peril as Standoff with South African Authorities Continues

In Johannesburg, South Africa, more than 4,000 illegal miners are trapped in a deteriorating standoff with authorities, confined inside an abandoned mine shaft in the Stilfontein area of North West province. The miners, many of whom have been underground for several months, are reportedly weakening and some are falling ill.

South African police reported that a partly decomposed body of one miner was retrieved from the mine on Thursday morning. On Wednesday, five unlicensed miners were extracted alive, appearing frail and in poor health. These illegal miners, locally known as Zama Zama, often hail from neighboring countries and lack the proper documentation to secure legal employment in South Africa. As a result, they resort to extracting leftover gold and other minerals from abandoned mines.

Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, made it clear that the government would not intervene to assist the Zama Zamas. "We will not send help to criminals. We are not sending help. We will smoke them out," she stated. Ntshavheni emphasized that these individuals would be arrested once they surfaced.

In a coordinated effort to end the illegal mining activity, the South African police and military launched an operation called Vala Umgodi (Close the Hole). This week, they decided to block all entrances to the mine, cutting off the supply of food to those trapped inside. Since the commencement of the operation several weeks ago, more than 1,000 miners have been brought to the surface and detained.

Volunteers have relayed the dire conditions underground, reporting a strong odor of rotting flesh and carrying letters from the trapped miners. Many of these letters convey messages from miners who are too exhausted to climb out. Meanwhile, local community members continue to protest outside the mine, demanding the release of their trapped family members. Some women have been cooking food to offer to any miners who manage to reach the surface.

One of the miners, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed the tough situation they face. "I am working here, but I am not bothering any human. I am just feeding my family," he said, highlighting the desperate measures these men take in their struggle for survival.