South Africa mine rescue ends with 246 saved, 78 dead as illegal mining crisis mounts

South African authorities have concluded a week-long rescue operation at the abandoned Buffelsfontein gold mine, recovering 246 survivors and 78 deceased illegal miners, locally referred to as ‘Zamazama.’

The operation at the site near Stilfontein 150 km southwet of Johannesburg followed a court order last week compelling authorities to respond to a disaster that began in mid-2024. Hundreds of illegal miners became trapped underground after authorities controversially sealed off access to the mine, The Associated Press reports.

The Northwest province health department oversaw medical care for the survivors, nine of whom were hospitalized under police guard, a spokesperson said in a press statement Thursday. The dead, many in an advanced state of decomposition, were handled by the department’s Forensic Pathology Services.

Sello Lehari, a local government executive council member, said healthcare personnel processed over 1,900 Zamazamas through medical evaluations during the operation.

Authorities confiscated firearms, explosives, gold and over US$2 million in cash during the operation, highlighting the organized criminal syndicates often linked to illegal mining.

Survivors now face charges of illegal mining and trespassing, with the South African Police Service emphasizing the risks posed by Zamazamas to mine security, infrastructure and local communities.

The South African Police Service and the Minerals Council South Africa say illegal mining costs the South African economy more than US$1 billion annually, with incidents of theft, sabotage and attacks on employees and rival miners compounding the issue.

Legacy problem

The Stilfontein government, which is controlled by The African National Congress – the former liberation movement that Nelson Mandela led into national rule – started the ‘Vala Umgodi’ (Close the pits) rescue operation in July last year. They encountered a humanitarian crisis, but suffered logistical challenges and poor planning. The mine’s depth—extending 2 km underground—posed significant risks for the specialized teams engaged.

The Stilfontein disaster has reignited calls for an independent inquiry into the government’s handling of illegal mining. Critics have argued that sealing abandoned mines without addressing broader socio-economic drivers, such as unemployment and poverty, merely exacerbates the risks and perpetuates tragedies.

The Pretoria-based human rights organization Lawyers for Human Rights said in a social media post the Stilfontein human rights crisis was totally preventable.

“It happened at a mine that was abandoned (unlawful), not properly closed (unlawful), with no environmental management and damage mitigation (also, unlawful),” it said.

A March 2024 report by the organization examining the state of mine closures in South Africa estimated there to be about 6,000 abandoned mines in the country.

It concluded that most abandoned mines in the continent’s south remain unmapped and untracked, presenting severe hazards. These mines often result in environmental degradation, economic decline in local communities, and persistent socio-economic challenges due to insufficient rehabilitation efforts.

Starved to death

The abandoned Buffelsfontein mine, once a big gold producer operated by erstwhile Stilfontein Gold Mining, has long been a hotspot for illegal mining activities. Like many of South Africa’s disused mines, it has been plagued by Zamazamas who risk their lives in unstable tunnels to extract residual gold.

These informal miners, often foreign nationals from neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho, frequently fall victim to dangerous conditions and violent turf wars.

As part of the Vala Umgodi operation, government forces sealed access points to the mine and cut off food supplies, a tactic officials described as necessary to combat criminality, according to a December government statement.

Critics, including civic groups and opposition parties, denounced the strategy as inhumane, alleging it left miners to die from starvation or dehydration. Video footage from inside the mine, released by activists, showed bodies lined up in underground tunnels and survivors pleading for help.

While 246 individuals were rescued during the operation, community groups believe more bodies remain underground in unsearched shafts.

Police Major-General Patrick Asaneng, acting commissioner for Northwest Province, stated that final sweeps of the mine found no additional survivors or bodies, though local leaders dispute these findings, according to AP News.