The court rejected the request to provide assistance to illegal miners as a result of the natural disaster

The application asked the court to order police to assist and rescue suspected illegal miners in Stilfontein, North West.

Police say no miners were trapped and more than 1,200 miners recently surfaced.

Atland police spokeswoman Mathe said limited supplies such as water and porridge had been sent underground and medical staff were on standby.

The SAPS has always maintained that it has never violated the constitutional right to life and dignity. The SAPS has never blocked any mine or blocked the exit of illegal miners through an abandoned mine, as evidenced by the 1,239 illegal miners who have resurfaced in the last few weeks.

“The SAPS remains adamant that there are no illegal miners trapped underground and that they are simply refusing to come to the surface because they are avoiding arrest. This is evident from the 14 illegal miners who resurfaced last night at Shaft 10, which is linked to Shaft 11.”

Mathe added that static deployments remain in place “to assert authority and uphold the rule of law.”

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