South Africa has begun to remove illegal miners from underground
South African rescue experts have arrived at the Stilfontein mine in the country to begin an operation to bring illegal miners underground.The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has reported that the team tasked with managing the exercise is led by Wessels Morweng.
The rescue operation follows a conflict between the miners and the police that has continued for more than a month.Initially, the families of the illegal miners accused the relevant government officials of abandoning their relatives underground and preventing efforts to provide them with food and water.
However, the South African police yesterday explained that the illegal miners were not abandoned, but refused to leave the abandoned mines for fear of being arrested.
Yesterday, the spokesperson of the South African Police explained that, they are planning to carry out the exercise to remove them from the mine as they were instructed but by taking safety precautions.
At the same time, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said that the exercise is part of the operation named "Vala Umgodi" across the country which continues to gain success in dealing with illegal mining activities in South Africa.
