Klerksdorp, 21 January, 2025 / 10:07 pm (ACI Africa).
The Bishop of Klerksdorp Catholic Diocese in South Africa is calling for the regulation of informal mining activities in the country following the discovery of 78 bodies in a shaft in the country’s North West Province.
Speaking to the Africa Service of Vatican Radio on Monday, January 20, Bishop Victor Phalana who also witnessed the rescue of 250 other illegal miners from the disused mine in Silfontein in emphasized the need for structured governance to address the challenges associated with artisanal mining.
“The government must regulate artisan mining so that it does not become an illegal activity,” Bishop Phalana said and noted that many South Africans are willing to engage in small-scale mining legally but face obstacles in obtaining licenses.
All that South Africans want, he said, is for the government to give them licenses.
“I met some of them during our benchmarks conference. They said, ‘We've been applying and we are not getting any positive response’,” the Bishop said.
On Thursday, January 16, rescuers in South Africa ended the process of rescuing miners who had been hiding in the mine since last November for fear of being arrested.