Survivors of a months-long standoff inside one of South Africa’s deepest illegal gold mines have recounted harrowing tales of desperation, with some miners reportedly resorting to 'cannibalism' to stay alive.
According to South African media reports, the distressing ordeal unfolded at the disused Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in Stilfontein, where authorities adopted a hardline approach to curb illegal mining by criminal gangs.
The months-long standoff between South African authorities and illegal miners trapped ended on January 16, with rights groups reporting at least 78 fatalities, likely due to starvation.
The rescue operation was launched following a court directive.
South African police confirmed there were no more survivors or bodies, based on footage captured by cameras deployed to scan the mine’s multiple underground levels.
On the other hand, the police allegedly cut off the miners’ food and water supply for months in an effort to "smoke them out."
“They cut parts of legs, arms, and ribs for sustenance. They decided it was their only remaining option for survival,” one survivor, who insisted he did not participate in the cannibalism, recounted.
Another miner shared that he and a colleague survived by consuming cockroaches after their food ran out.
Month-long standoff
The desperate situation escalated after authorities blocked food and water from entering the mine in August.
The police reportedly aimed to force out hundreds of illegal miners, known locally as zama zamas — a term meaning "those who take a chance."
The month-long standoff concluded last week with the recovery of 78 bodies and the rescue of 246 miners, according to reports.
Shocking images of skeletal survivors emerging from the mine and body bags being hauled to the surface have triggered widespread outrage.
Some locals and unions have accused the authorities of turning the crackdown into a "massacre."
Government's defence
The mining minister, Gwede Mantashe, rejected accusations of state responsibility for the tragedy.
“If you go to a dangerous place such as a neglected mine and stay there for about three months, starving yourself to death, how does that become the responsibility of the state?” he asked in a statement.
However, public criticism has grown louder, with calls for an inquiry into the authorities’ handling of the situation.
The prolonged standoff, which began in August, did compel more than 1,300 illegal miners to return to the surface and face court proceedings.
Nevertheless, several miners reportedly remained trapped, too weak to move, before the court intervened and ordered humanitarian aid and a rescue operation.
The plight of the zama zamas portrays the desperate conditions faced by illegal miners, who risk their lives scavenging for gold deposits in disused mines operated by powerful criminal syndicates.
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