Mathatisi Sebusi
THE South African Police Service (SAPS) is struggling to identify 79 of the 88 bodies of illegal miners retrieved from the Stilfontein mine shaft last month.
As a result, the SAPS, and the Lesotho government, are calling on Basotho to assist in the identification process by conducting DNA tests.
According to North West Police spokesperson, Brigadier Sebata Mokgwabone, nine of the bodies have so far been identified through fingerprints. The remaining 79 bodies, found in an advanced state of decomposition, are being kept at government mortuaries.
The Stilfontein gold mine in North West Province was once a major gold producer but ceased operations in 2013. Since then, it has become a hub for illicit mining, with zama zamas (illegal miners) extracting residual gold deposits.
In August 2024, South African authorities launched a siege of the mine, cutting off food, water, and medicine to force illegal miners to surface and face arrest. Blocked shaft exits trapped miners underground, with some reportedly unable to resurface due to fear of arrest or retaliation from armed underground gangs controlling operations.
Miners voluntarily began sending deceased and weakened individuals up the shafts. On 13 January 2025, the Department of Mineral Resources initiated a court-ordered rescue operation. By 16 January, authorities confirmed no one else remained in the mine.
Brig Mokgwabone revealed that, in addition to the 88 deceased, 1905 individuals were rescued alive and subsequently arrested.
“These 1905 individuals face charges of illicit mining and contravention of the South African Immigration Act of 2002.
“The police ensured that all individuals were brought out of the mine shaft. According to two volunteers who assisted during the rescue operation, no one remains at Stilfontein Shaft No. 11,” Brig Mokgwabone said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations has issued an appeal for Basotho families to assist with identifying the deceased.
“We request friends and families who have lost contact with loved ones in Stilfontein and believe they were involved in illegal mining to provide DNA samples to assist South African authorities with the identification process,” read a ministry statement.
“It is suspected that some of the deceased may be from Lesotho. We urge families with missing relatives or friends in the Stilfontein or Klerksdorp area to urgently visit the mine site and provide DNA samples.”
Minister of International Relations and Public Affairs, Lejone Mpotjoane, told this publication that the next steps regarding the deceased miners will depend on their identification and confirmation as Basotho citizens.
“We have requested Basotho to assist with the identification process. Only after the bodies are confirmed to be Basotho can we determine whether they will be repatriated,” Mr Mpotjoane said.
He further stated that the arrested individuals would face South African laws.
“They committed a crime, and it is impossible for the government to intervene in such matters.”
The minister also revealed that this identification process is the first communication Lesotho has received from South African authorities regarding the miners trapped at the Stilfontein mine.
