Up to 20 illegal miners were suspected dead after a rock fall at an abandoned mine in South Africa, a union said yesterday. There have been growing fears for the safety of unlicensed miners still working in abandoned shafts in Africa’s biggest economy. “One illegal miner was seriously injured, and, according to him, 20 were killed in a rock fall as a result of illegal mining activities in a mine located between the Grootvlei and the Gravelotte mines on the East Rand,” the Solidarity union said.
The Grootvlei site is currently looked after by liquidators. The site had been temporarily managed by a firm run by relatives of President Jacob Zuma and former president Nelson Mandela. South Africa, which has the world’s deepest gold mines, has a dire safety record compared with the industrialised world. In 2010 four suspected illegal miners were shot dead underground at Grootvlei.
“These mines are turning into shafts of death,” said Solidarity’s Gideon du Plessis. “Until the assets are finally sold off, no one is going to take full responsibility to stop illegal mining activities at the mines.” – (Reuters)