South African rescue experts have arrived at the Stilfontein mine to begin the retrieval operation to bring suspected illegal miners to the surface.
State broadcaster SABC reports the task team is led by Member of Executive Council for North West Community Safety, Wessels Morweng.
The rescue operation follows a standoff between the miners and police, which has dragged on for more than a month.
Relatives had earlier accused authorities of trapping the miners underground and blocking efforts to provide them with food and water.
But police say the illegal miners are not trapped but have refused to emerge from the abandoned mine for fear of being arrested.
Shaft investigated
Mine rescue teams assessed the shaft on Tuesday to see what equipment they needed before they started the retrieval operation, SABC reports.
The Stilfontein community, which had volunteered to retrieve the illegal miners, says they have stepped back to allow the task team appointed by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to take over.
It is unknown how many miners remain underground.
Stilfontein residents’ leader, Thembile Botman, however, fears the rescue effort may be coming too late.
“We will just hope we are saving human beings that are still alive, not corpses,” Botman said.
Legal tussle
A South African High Court on Tuesday adjourned a case filed by miners demanding that they be allowed to emerge from underground without being arrested, state broadcaster SABC reports.
An organisation, the Society for the Protection of our Constitution, approached the court on behalf of the miners.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa had said that illegal miners’ activities posed a risk to “our economy, communities, and personal safety." He, however, called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff.
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