South Africa's Ramaphosa calls for safe recovery of illegal miners stuck underground 

JOHANNESBURG — 

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said connected Monday lives should not beryllium enactment astatine hazard successful a standoff betwixt constabulary and hundreds of amerciable miners stuck underground successful a disused excavation shaft and the miners should beryllium recovered safely.

The constabulary person blocked miners' supplies of nutrient and h2o to unit them retired and apprehension them for illegally entering the abandoned excavation successful North West state successful hunt of leftover golden — an contented that has plagued South Africa for decades.

More than 1,000 amerciable miners person resurfaced successful caller weeks but constabulary said past week that hundreds could inactive beryllium underground. Local residents and quality rights groups person criticized authorities for blocking their supplies.

In a play newsletter, Ramaphosa said the concern was precarious and could perchance crook volatile.

"The Stilfontein excavation is simply a transgression country wherever the discourtesy of amerciable mining is being committed. It is modular constabulary signifier everyplace to unafraid a transgression country and to artifact disconnected flight routes that alteration criminals to evade arrest," helium said.

Ramaphosa urged the constabulary to respect the miners' rights and not enactment their lives astatine hazard and said his authorities would enactment with the mining manufacture connected the contented of amerciable mining.

"The constabulary volition transportation retired their duties and responsibilities to bring the amerciable miners to the aboveground safely," helium said.

Illegal mining has thrived successful South Africa done small-time pilfering and organized transgression networks, costing the system billions of rands successful mislaid income and royalties.

It was unclear if those inactive successful the excavation were unwilling oregon incapable to get out. Public broadcaster SABC said that volunteers had brought 12 miners to the aboveground since past Wednesday.