South African police arrested 14 individuals, including a teenage boy, this week after they emerged from an illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, a town at the heart of a tense standoff between unauthorized miners and authorities. The arrests took place on Sunday night, with one of the men visibly injured.
The mine, an abandoned gold shaft, has been a hotspot for illegal mining, with hundreds—possibly even thousands—of miners hiding in the vast tunnel network beneath the town. These miners, often referred to as “zama zamas,” are trapped underground without adequate food or water, and are fearful of coming out due to the risk of arrest or deportation.
The South African government has been cracking down on illegal mining, which costs the country more than $1 billion annually in lost revenue. The authorities have blocked mine shafts in an effort to force the miners out and make arrests. The ongoing situation highlights the widespread issue of illegal gold mining in South Africa, where abandoned mines are often targeted by those seeking to extract any remaining resources.