Abandoned mine shaft in Stilfontein, North West were illegal Zama Zama’s are starving undergroundPicture courtesy: Ground Up
(The Post News)- The High Court in Pretoria granted an urgent application allowing humanitarian aid to reach illegal mineworkers trapped underground at Stilfontein mine in the North West on Sunday during a virtual court sitting. The application, brought by the Mining Affected Community United in Action (MACUA) and represented by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), sought to address what was described as “life-threatening conditions” for artisanal miners cut off from vital resources.
The court case emerged following a police operation aimed at shutting down illegal mining activities in the area. As part of their enforcement measures, authorities sealed mine entrances, blocking efforts by community members and humanitarian groups to assist the miners with adequate food. The MACUA, represented by LRH, an organization advocating for the rights of communities affected by mining, argued that the sealing of mine entrances without provisions for the miners’ well-being was a violation of basic human rights.
The court ruled that the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, along with the police minister, must immediately allow access to humanitarian aid. Within two hours of the judgment, community volunteers and aid organizations were to be granted permission to deliver essential supplies to the trapped miners. LHR’s Thato Gaafane emphasized the urgency of the situation. “This is not simply a legal dispute—it is a matter of life and death. Our clients are alarmed by the lack of discretion exercised in implementing the interim court order, as lives continue to hang in the balance,” Gaafane told the SABC last week.
Lawyers for Human Rights welcomed the court’s decision, calling it an important step in ensuring that human dignity is protected even in difficult situations, because illegal miners have the right to live as well as the right not to have the quality of their existence reduced.While the interdict ensures short-term relief, the battle is far from over. Lawyers for Human Rights confirmed they would return to court on December 5, seeking further orders.
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