In a chilling story from South Africa, illegal miners trapped underground in Stilfontein have claimed they’ve resorted to eating human flesh in order to survive. The miners, who have been stuck in abandoned gold mines, wrote a desperate letter pleading for help. The letter, which was sent to the surface on Christmas Eve, told of the extreme hunger and suffering they are enduring.
The letter was written in broken isiZulu and a mix of isiXhosa, and it revealed a frightening situation. The miners said some of their friends had disappeared after trying to escape through Shaft 10, while others were too weak and sick to move. “Our parents, it’s hard down here. People are dying. They tried to leave through Shaft 10, and they disappeared,” the letter said.
The miners explained that food supplies had run out, and they were living in constant fear of death. “We are asking for food. It’s hard down here, people are dying. We don’t know why, but we think it’s hunger,” they wrote.
In response to this desperate cry for help, the Stilfontein Solidarity Committee, in collaboration with the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA), quickly arranged for food, water, and supplies to be sent down to the miners. Volunteers rushed to deliver the help they needed, despite the dangers involved.
The situation became even more critical when an urgent legal application by MACUA to force the government to send aid was rejected by the North Gauteng High Court. The miners are trapped underground as police crackdown on illegal mining with an operation called “Vala Umgodi,” which aims to arrest those involved in illegal mining activities.
The miners’ letters also revealed that they were desperate for basic supplies like canned beans, tomato sauce, beef, mayonnaise, soap, and even washing powder. They also begged for medication and a quick rescue for the sick and injured.
Illegal mining in South Africa is a growing problem, with thousands of people searching for gold in old, unsafe mines. It’s estimated that illegal mining costs the country over R70 million a year, hurting both the economy and the surrounding communities. The dangerous conditions in these mines put both the miners and nearby residents at risk.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the miners’ plea for help highlights the severe human cost of illegal mining in South Africa and the desperate measures people will take to survive.
