South African police arrested 17 illegal miners, including three teenagers, who emerged Thursday from an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, North West province, where some had been trapped underground since May.
The teenagers, aged between 16 and 19, were among those who surfaced during Operation Vala Umgodi, a December 2024 police initiative that cut off food, water, and medical supplies to force illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas,” back to the surface.
The young miners, appearing hungry and dehydrated, showed signs of their ordeal with bust lips, grazed skin, blisters on their hands, and torn clothes. They reported taking days to reach the shaft exit and claimed armed BaSotho guards made escape attempts nearly impossible. All 17 miners, including a 14-year-old arrested at a different shaft, face charges of illegal mining, trespassing, and immigration law violations as authorities intensify efforts to crack down on illegal mining across the
