| 2024/11/25 |
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Media Statement
PRETORIA – The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola welcomes the judgement handed down in the North Gauteng High Court which dismissed the application brought forward by the Society for the Protection of our Constitution. The application sought amongst others to compel various government departments including SAPS to provide all necessary emergency disaster relief to illegal miners underground by providing food, water, medical aid, blankets and any such medical relief necessary. The application also compelled government departments including SAPS to extract the alleged trapped miners from underground. The SAPS has always maintained that it has never been in violation of any Constitutional right to life and to dignity. The SAPS has never blocked any shaft nor blocked any illegal miner from exiting through any disused mine shaft, as is evident with the 1239 illegal miners that have resurfaced in the past few weeks. The SAPS remains adamant that there is no illegal miner that is trapped underground and that they simply refuse to resurface because they are avoiding arrest. This is evident with the 14 illegal miners who resurfaced last night at shaft 10 which is linked to shaft 11. The SAPS as a caring government department has also in the past two weeks allowed for limited food supply and water to be taken down to the illegal miners. Instant porridge, mageu and water were indeed taken down. Medical emergency personally have also always been on standby to treat all those who resurface. The SAPS is mandated according to section205 of the constitution to prevent, combat as well as maintain law and order, and it is against this objective that the SAPS’ role and objective for OPERATION VALA UMGODI is to prevent, combat and stop illicit mining activities that are taking place in the Stilfontein area. SAPS operations continue where static deployments are still in place to stamp the authority and for the rule of law to be upheld. Relevant authorities will soon provide an update on how far the rescue operations are. Ends
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