As South Africa's mining crisis resurfaces, questions of human rights violations and justice against illegal mining arise.
In an economy strangled by devastating poverty, inadequate public infrastructure, and glaring economic inflation that stifles those in the low-to-middle economic classes, the scandal of illegal mining in South Africa comes as a shock. While unregulated mining risks are clear, the response that infringes the human rights of illegal miners exercised by the restriction of food and water supplies below the surface forces us to evaluate collective consciousness.
As it stands, an estimated 4000 illegal miners have been trapped in an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, North West, South Africa. In conditions expected in unregulated mining shafts, miners below the surface suffer critical conditions from the environment alone, worsened by a lack of nutrition and hydration. These concerns continue to mount as South Africa's Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has expressed desperation over circumstances indicating vindictive and inhumane attitudes towards illegal miners because of their status.
Why is South Africa's mining industry dysregulated?
The state of the mining industry has been criticised for prioritising profit at the expense of human rights and environmental conditions. As a result, years of arduous exploitation of gold and minerals at mining sites have led to significant land degradation and the loss of livelihoods, most notably for those earning minimal wages.
The evidence of government foul-play is reflected in a statement by the Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who stated on November 14, 2024, "We are not sending help to criminals, we are going to smoke them out..." This remark led to an uproar among the public and government officials, including Mametlwe Sebei, President of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa, who emphasised the need to differentiate between desperate former mine workers and organised criminal syndicates.
How do we humanize illegal mine workers?
It is important in these situations to consider the Human Rights afforded to all as a standard for assessing the well-being and humanity of those we seek to bring to justice. Considering that much of the industry's shortcomings are responsible for the thousands of unclosed mines across the country and the economic desperation many face due to retrenchment, the discourse we witness suggests a lack of regard for the injustices endured by those affected by socioeconomic devastation.