Summary
South African authorities have cut off food and water to force up to 4,000 illegal miners, known as “zama zamas,” to surface from an abandoned mine shaft in Stilfontein.
The government, calling these miners “criminals,” has pledged not to assist them, with Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warning, “We are going to smoke them out.”
Over 1,000 miners have resurfaced and been arrested under the “Vala Umgodi” operation.
Illegal mining, fueled by declining gold production, often involves violent crime and hazardous conditions in abandoned mines.
Not in favour of the individual suffering here, but illegal mining is about the worst thing that can happen anywhere.
Furthermore, in most jurisdictions where illegal mining happens, you get these gang run pyramid scheme shenanigans going on where the miners are very nearly enslaved to their handlers. Shutting them down can only be a good thing!
On the larger scale: Environment and safety regulations exist for a reason.
That said, the suckers in the mine starving themselves to avoid arrest might not see it that way.
The article doesn’t seem to say who is paying these workers to mine unless I missed it.
Because I’m guessing they aren’t all communal stakeholders.
I’m also guessing whoever is paying them isn’t being smoked out of wherever they are and being cut off from food and water.
Last thing i heard, Musk was still in the USA.
Also who are these people and where are they from?
Many come from neighboring countries among them, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
Yay! Class struggle. Poor people hurting poor people!
