Police in the North West have retracted claims that extortionists are obstructing efforts to rescue illegal miners from an abandoned shaft in Stilfontein, according to EWN. Authorities had been investigating a community leader accused of demanding a 30% cut from a rescue team deployed by Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu at the Buffelsfontein gold mine.
Deputy Provincial Commissioner Patrick Asaneng dismissed the extortion allegations, stating that no mine rescue teams had reported being approached for bribes, labeling the claims as baseless distractions. Contractors are working on a plan to safely bring illegal miners, known as zama zamas, to the surface and dismantle the underground network, with the operation reportedly costing over R1 million daily.
