A harrowing tale of survival has emerged from South Africa after 246 illegal miners were rescued and 78 bodies recovered from the abandoned Buffelsfontein Gold Mine. Reports reveal that some miners, cut off from food for months, resorted to extreme measures—including consuming human flesh—to stay alive.
A survivor, who denied partaking in cannibalism, described the horror underground. “They cut parts of legs, arms, and ribs for sustenance. They believed it was their last option,” he said, adding that he survived on cockroaches.
Authorities had enforced a blockade, stopping food and water supplies in August, aiming to force out the illegal miners, known as zama zamas—a term meaning “those who take a chance.” The strategy led to a prolonged standoff, with workers trapped underground for months, too weak to escape.
While over 1,300 miners eventually surfaced and faced legal action, others remained stranded. It took a court order to force the government to provide humanitarian aid. The haunting sight of skeletal survivors and body bags being retrieved sparked accusations of a state-led massacre.
However, mining minister Gwede Mantashe dismissed the claims. “If you choose to enter a dangerous, abandoned mine and starve, how is the state responsible?” he argued.
The tragedy has ignited debate over illegal mining, government intervention, and human rights.
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