By Rachel Mohamed
The ongoing dispute between the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) centers on allegations concerning the blasting of Shaft 10 at the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in Stilfontein. The union has accused the police of detonating explosives at the shaft, an action they claim resulted in the recovery of over 78 bodies and 240 other illegal miners.
Speaking on VOC’s News Beat show, Mametlwe Sebei, President of Giwusa, explained the sequence of events. After the search at Shaft 11 was concluded, two volunteers and the police began an investigation at Shaft 10, the only other shaft connected to Shaft 11.
“The two volunteers encountered over 78 bodies in an advanced state of decomposition and reported that they could not continue retrieving bodies from Shaft 10 due to the harrowing conditions. The sight of those bodies was deeply traumatizing, and they felt it would be impossible to erase such images from their minds,” Sebei recounted.
This account has heightened tensions as Giwusa demands accountability and transparency from SAPS regarding their actions at Shaft 10.
Listen to the full interview:
VOC News
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