Trade union warns of dangerous illegal mining in S Africa

JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 23 (Xinhua): The rampant illegal mining would lead to major tragedies if they could not be curbed in South Africa, a trade union warned here yesterday.
"These illegal miners are just troopers, their network is really big. Their syndicates have become brazen, well-organized and armed," said the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in a statement. As the largest affiliate of the Congress of South African trade unions, the NUM is the main trade union of the South African mining sector with a membership of more than 300,000.
"People like geologists are recruited, and they operate in a particular structure," said the NUM general secretary Frans Baleni.
Ignorant illegal miners would even smoke and do all sorts of things like burning underground."It would be highly dangerous to have open flames underground at an abandoned mine due to the possible existence of methane,"he said.
Frans Baleni warned, "There is going to be a big disaster one day if no decisive action would be taken to curb the thriving illegal mining."
This followed the large-scale rescue operation for reportedly 200 odd illegal miners trapped at a deserted gold mine in eastern Johannesburg since last Saturday.
At least 25 illegal miners had been rescued by the local emergency department, but it was still unclear about the fate of the remaining ones still trapped underground.
The NUM urged mining companies to intensify their efforts to manage their abandoned mines in the countries, including closure or rehabilitation.
It is common for illegal miners to excavate the abandoned mines for making a living in South Africa. However, they would risk their lives in the dangerous underground working conditions.
At least 82 illegal miners died from inhalation of poisonous gasses created by a fire at a gold mine in the central province of the Free State in late May and early June 2009.
On Friday Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu promised that the government would do more to prevent illegal miners from reopening abandoned mines in the country.Rich in deposits, the mining has become one of the main drivers in growing economy in South Africa in the recent years.