In a harrowing account captured in his affidavit, Clement Moeletsi, detailed how he had allegedly been kept silent by the South African Police Service (SAPS) after being denied access to his legal representatives.
However, following a legal battle and being released on R500 bail, he was able to share his account of what transpired underground.
Moeletsi is one of a number of miners arrested in the SAPS “Vala Umgodi” operation which is aimed at tackling illegal mining activities that have been plaguing the North West region.
Moeletsi was retrieved from Shaft 11 by the dedicated actions of the Stilfontein Community Rescue Team on December 9 and released on bail by the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on December 31.
Moeletsi recounted that he had entered Shaft 10 using the rope system, on July 24, last year.
“Upon descending to level 6 of Shaft 10, I remained there for approximately one month before the impact of Operation Vala Umgodi was felt. During this time, I witnessed the daily struggles of those around me as we grappled with the harsh realities of life underground. The environment was suffocating and devoid of natural light, with the air thick and heavy.
“Prior to the implementation of Operation Vala Umgodi, we relied on the support of other artisanal miners above ground and community members above ground to send food, medications, and other essential supplies. Families would provide these items, which were then delivered by miners on the surface to those trapped below.
“This system, while informal, was crucial in sustaining life underground. In August 2024, the supply of food and other essential necessities for dignified living from above ground was completely cut off for Shaft 10. This abrupt termination of supplies left us utterly blindsided, as we had no warning or explanation for why the provision of food, water, medication, and other basic supplies had suddenly stopped,” said Moeletsi.
He recounted how trapped miners had to improvise for basic nourishment having been left in a desperate situation.
“People began eating cockroaches and mixing toothpaste with salt to create makeshift meals, extreme measures born out of sheer deprivation. The lack of food and safe drinking water left us with no viable means of nourishment. From September through October 2024, the absence of even basic sustenance was absolute, and survival became a daily battle against starvation…
“The prolonged starvation left me physically and mentally drained, pushing my body to its limits. To survive, I resorted to drinking underground water, which had a strong chemical taste. While it kept me alive, it came at a cost, I suffered severe headaches, abdominal pain, and what I suspect were symptoms of stomach ulcers.”
Moeletsi said the abrupt operation by the SAPS was “devastating” as it left them without any chance of aid or rescue.
“Starvation took hold swiftly, and I watched as those around me grew weaker by the day. Their bodies wasted away, and their conditions deteriorated rapidly. Many succumbed to the unrelenting hunger, their skeletal frames haunting reminders of the horrors we endured.
“From what I witnessed; it was not illness but starvation that claimed the lives of those underground. These were preventable deaths, caused not by natural circumstances but by human decisions.
“It was not an illness that killed them. It was starvation. A cruel, drawn-out death that consumed them piece by piece. This is what I saw underground. This is what we lived through, and this is why, respectfully, no one, despite what they have done, should ever endure such suffering again,” he wrote.
Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) said in a statement that in an apparent attempt to silence him, Moeletsi’s legal representatives, Lawyers for Human Rights, and community members of the Stilfontein Crisis Committee, were sent from pillar to post, as “police bluntly refused to provide his legal representative access to him” while he was detained at Hartbeespoort police station.
Macua spokesperson, Magnificent Mndebele, said they have since filed an urgent application of appeal to the Constitutional Court.
The application, which was dismissed by the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, is to compel the State to uphold its constitutional obligations to protect and save the lives of the trapped miners.
Mndebele said they are awaiting a date from the Concourt for the matter to be heard.
“In our view, Honourable Madam Justice Mazibuko AJ, with respect, erred in her decision which has the effects of shielding the State from taking the responsibility to sustain the lives of the trapped miners, who, without food, will continue to die.
“The (high court) ruled that impoverished and unemployed community members, social movements and charitable organisations can provide humanitarian aid to the trapped miners, but that the State and the mining company who abandoned the mine, bears zero responsibility for remedying the situation it effectively caused. This, respectfully, is a miscarriage of justice,” said Mndebele.
The SAPS will only comment on Monday.