(Bloomberg) -- The number of illegal miners who’ve died in a months-long standoff with the South African authorities increased to 51, the security forces said.
Most Read from Bloomberg
The final phase of an operation that began in October is under way to force an unknown number of people out of the disused gold mine in Stilfontein, 156 kilometers (97 miles) southwest of Johannesburg. More than 100 people have been extracted from the site so far, the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure said in a statement.
Civil rights groups said at least 100 people have died from starvation since October when the authorities sealed off the mine to deny those underground access to food to force them to the surface. While more than 1,500 miners have exited the mine and been detained, many more are still thought to be below ground.
There is still “quite a substantial number” of illegal miners underground, though it’s unknown how many, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said in an interview with Johannesburg-based broadcaster eNCA on Wednesday. “We are focusing on assisting them out.”
South Africa, which is rich in platinum, manganese and other metals, loses billions of dollars a year to those who mine gold illegally, according to the government. There are about 6,000 abandoned mines strewn across the country and a number of them have been accessed by informal miners, known locally as zama zamas.
Mines Minister Gwede Mantashe has opposed calls for the formalization of informal mining.
“It’s a war on the economy,” he said during a visit to Stilfontein on Tuesday. “Until you show me something different about illegal mining, that they add value to the economy, I can’t change my approach.”
South Africa’s abandoned mines — many closed by companies because they aren’t profitable — attract people from outside the country. Of the 1,576 people who were arrested after they resurfaced from the Stilfontein mine before the start of the rescue operation, only 21 were South African nationals, according to the police.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
-
Why AI Investors Should Worry About the Self-Driving Car Crash
-
Cannabis Cocktails Are Growing Quickly, But the Law Might Stop That Soon
©2025 Bloomberg L.P.