The SA Police Service (SAPS) says the interim court order issued by the North Gauteng High Court does not halt the police operation at Stilfontein where illegal miners, said to be in thousands, are stranded underground.
The court order seen by IOL was issued by the court after an urgent application by the Society for the Protection of Our Constitution, following government’s hardline approach against the illegal miners who have been categorized as “criminals”.
The interim court order gives directive for the unblocking of the mine shafts.
“Pending finalisation of the application, the mine shaft in Stilfontein that forms the subject matter of this application shall be unblocked and may not be blocked by any person or institution whether government or private,” the court stated.
The court ordered that any miners trapped in the mine shaft shall be permitted to exit, and no non-emergency personnel may enter the mine shaft.
In reaction, SAPS said it welcomes the interim court order.
“SAPS static deployment operations continue at all abandoned and disused mining shafts in the Stilfontein area, where a call is once again made to all illegal miners to resurface. The order does not in anyway prevent SAPS from performing its constitutional mandate,” said SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
“All those who resurface will continue to be assessed by emergency medical personnel on site, as has been the case. Those that are in a good health will be processed and detained. Those that require further medical care will be taken to hospital under police guard.”
As of Saturday evening, SAPS said three illegal miners had resurfaced.
IOL