MACUA calls for justice and closure for families of illegal miners who died at Stilfontein
The organisation, along with religious and traditional leaders, held a cleansing ceremony at shafts 10 and 11 of the Buffelsfontein mine this week, where dozens of miners perished.
About 40 people staged a Stilfontein solidarity picket outside Cape Town International Convention Centre on Wednesday, 2 February 2025. Picture: Cailynn Pretorius/ EWN
JOHANNESBURG - The Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) is calling for justice and closure for the families of illegal miners who died during Operation Vala Umgodi in Stilfontein, North West.
The organisation, along with religious and traditional leaders, held a cleansing ceremony at shafts 10 and 11 of the Buffelsfontein mine this week, where dozens of miners perished.
Since August last year, over 1,000 illegal miners surfaced from underground, while others died, reportedly from dehydration and starvation.
READ: 3 more illegal miners resurface at abandoned Stilfontein mine
MACUA’s Sabelo Mnguni said that many of the deceased were buried without the community’s involvement.
"Some of them were not retrieved, some of them were buried through state funerals where even the community is not participating."