The South African Police Service (SAPS) Wednesday discovered 21 bodies of illegal miners near Krugersdorp mine amid reports that the deceased died following a trench collapse. Krugersdorp is a mining town on the western edges of Johannesburg.
On Thursday, police teams recovered the bodies of two suspected illegal miners, according to IOL. Only hours before, the bodies of 19 men were found near a mine in Krugersdorp. Said national police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili:
Preliminary investigations suggest that the deceased were moved and placed where they were discovered. No foul play is suspected at this stage and post-mortems will determine the course of death.
All the necessary role-players were summoned to the scene. An inquest docket has been registered for further investigation,”
An illegal miner told Herald Live that the trench had been compromised by the recent heavy rains.
The man alleged that the bodies were moved from the mine to deter SAPS from investigating the area they were working in.
The man further alleged that the recent heavy rains compromised the trench.
He claimed that the combination of the rains and the dynamite used to move the earth impacted negatively on their work and as a result, some miners took a break until the rain ceased.
The man dismissed reports which allege that the deaths were probably caused by a fight between illegal miners.
Police are awaiting post-mortem reports the determine the cause of death.
Illegal mining is rife in South Africa, with miners known locally as “zama zamas” searching for gold at the many disused and abandoned mines in and around the Johannesburg region.
Illegal mining gangs, usually armed, are considered dangerous by the police and are known to fight violent turf battles with rival groups. The trade is believed to be dominated by immigrants who enter illegally from neighbouring countries Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
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