The South African National Civic Organisation are calling for action to be taken against unused mine shafts as they have become a breeding ground for criminal activities.
The civic organisation wants these mines to be clamped down, following the recovery of twelve (12) decomposing bodies of illegal miners found underground in the Bambanani West shaft mine in Welkom last week.
Sanco’s national spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, believes the closure of the unused mine shafts will reduce illegal mining and the number of deaths that occur in those areas.
According to Mahlangu, eleven (11) bodies of illegal miners were found in April and May this year, in Harmony Gold’s Eland shaft in Welkom.
“You can see that this is organised crime. I have never heard in the history of any criminality, that people are murdered and their names are written on their corpses. Which means that, whoever killed those people, knew them. That is why we have asked that intensive investigations should unfold to discover what caused these deaths and who is responsible.”
REFILWE GAESWE
