No help for trapped zama zamas!

MORE than 4 500 zama zamas are trapped underground near the North West town of Stilfontein.

Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni told the media they will not assist the zama zamas.

"We will smoke them out," she said.

On Wednesday, 13 November, the minister made it clear that the government won't be sending any help to the zama zamas.

"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out; they will come out. Criminals are not meant to be helped. Criminals are to be persecuted. We didn't send them there," Ntshavheni said.

She said that those criminals didn't go inside with good intentions for the country.

"Those who want them must take the food down there, they will come out, and we will arrest them.

"You want us to send our law enforcement officers to risk because criminals went to destroy our country? We are not sending any help. It's also not our duty to retrieve the bodies of criminals," the minister said.

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The police ministry, together with the ministry of defence, will visit the North West in response to the ongoing operation to address illegal mining in the Stilfontein area, where a significant number of zama zamas remain underground.

The visit, set to take place on Friday, 15 November, will reinforce the government's commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion.

"The visit comes amid ongoing efforts by the SAPS and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), under Operation Vala Umgodi, to ensure that illegal miners who are still underground return to the surface safely. Despite multiple calls, numerous illegal miners have yet to resurface," Ntshavheni said.

According to the ministry of police spokeswoman Kamogelo Mogotsi, the visit seeks to interact and engage law enforcement agencies on the ground, as well as engage the North West government and mining leadership.

"To date, more than 1 000 individuals involved in illegal mining have surfaced and been arrested. SAPS remains resolute in its commitment to uphold law and order and urges all remaining illegal miners to adhere to police calls to resurface," she said.