Thousands of Illegal Miners Trapped in South Africa as Government Cuts Supplies
Approximately 4,000 illegal gold miners, known as ‘Zama Zama’, are trapped underground at the Stilfontein mine in northwestern South Africa for over a month. The government has halted food and water supplies in an attempt to force them out for arrest, but many miners, undocumented immigrants from neighboring countries, fear deportation. Conditions underground are dire, with some miners spending months digging for gold to sell on the black market. Local residents have asked authorities for assistance, but police are reluctant to enter the mine, citing potential armed resistance.