President Ramaphosa Pledges Peaceful Resolution To Stilfontein Standoff

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday assured that the government is committed to resolving the tense situation in Stilfontein, North West, through peaceful and safe methods.

In his weekly address, Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa, as a nation that values the rule of law and human rights, will strive to find a peaceful solution. So far, over 1,000 miners have come out and been arrested.

Each person who emerges is checked by medical staff on-site. Those who are healthy are detained and will face legal procedures, while those needing medical attention are taken to the hospital under police supervision.

The president said that the miners' activities are illegal and pose a threat to the country's economy, communities, and public safety.

"The Stilfontein mine is a crime scene where the offense of illegal mining is being committed. It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest," Ramaphosa said, SA News reported.

He added, "The police will carry out their duties and responsibilities to bring the illegal miners to the surface safely. They will do all they can to reduce the risk of harm to the miners and to our law enforcement officials."

The president assured that the government will continue working with the mining industry to make sure they take responsibility for closing or restoring mines that are no longer in operation.

He also emphasized that the government is determined to tackle all forms of crime including cash-in-transit heists, extortion, illegal mining, gang violence, and other related crimes. Illegal mining, he pointed out, has caused significant anger and distress in local communities.

The government created an illegal mining task force that includes various security agencies to address this issue. Personnel from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have been deployed to assist the police.

For over a month, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other government agencies have been working to resolve the situation with several hundred illegal miners who are refusing to leave an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein.

Law enforcement officials have information that some of the miners may be armed. It is well known that criminal gangs often recruit illegal miners and are part of larger organized crime groups.

The president highlighted that illegal mining is dangerous due to the presence of explosives, toxic fumes, and the risk of mine shafts collapsing. This puts not only the illegal miners at risk but also the police and other law enforcement personnel.

Last year, 16 people, including three children, were killed in an explosion in Boksburg in Gauteng linked to gas used by illegal miners to process gold.