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According to the police, 369 firearms, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 5-million-rand (USD 275,000) in cash and 32-million-rand (USD 1.75 million) worth of uncut diamonds have been recovered from illegal miners since the government’s operation began.
There is a change of mind among South African authorities about rescuing the trapped illegal miners. It has now decided to put together a team including mine rescue experts to bring to the surface the illegal miners trapped in the mine.
 A government delegation led by the police minister Senzo Mchunu visited the site and engaged with the community and relatives of the miners who remain under a disused gold mine in a town southwest of Johannesburg. He said that the situation required a quicker process since the trapped miners could not be safe where they were for a longer period.
Looking at the risk involved, the government has put together multiple agencies to rescue the trapped miners. Mchunu added they had been advised that the mineshaft was 2,500 meters deep and that an intervention was dangerous. There is also a fear that the trapped miners may be heavily armed.
According to the police, 369 firearms, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 5 million rand (USD 275,000) in cash and 32 million rand (USD 1.75 million) worth of uncut diamonds have been recovered from illegal miners since the government’s operation began.
Officials have closed entrances to the mineshaft used to bring them food, water, and other necessities as part of a government strategy to force them to return to the surface and be arrested.
A body believed to be of one of the miners was brought to the surface on Thursday (Nov. 14), and police said they were still trying to determine the person’s identity and cause of death.
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There are no official estimates of the number of trapped miners, but police initially cited local information and said up to 4,000 may be underground. But the Police believe that the number may be less than 400.
