Surviving on a diet of toothpaste and toilet paper, South Africa's notorious "zama-zama" illegal miners continue a weeks-long standoff with police in the darkness of a disused gold mine.

Mine rescue workers host up a cage that was used to rescue trapped miners at an abandoned gold mine, where miners were rescued from below ground, in Stilfontein, South Africa, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.

The mine is one of the deepest in South Africa and is a maze of tunnels and levels and has several shafts leading into it. The miners were working up to 1.5 miles underground in different groups.

Inside South Africa's 'ruthless' gang-controlled gold mines The authorities had been trying to curb illegal mining, which the government said cost South Africa's economy $3.2bn (£2.6bn) in lost ...

As Mzwandile Mkwayi was lowered into the South African mine in a red metal cage attached to a hoist above ground, the first ...

Police officers and private security workers stand by a mine shaft in Stilfontein, South Africa, on Nov. 15, 2024. (Credit: Denis Parrell/AP.) Listen YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – A South African bishop ...

South Africa plans to unveil a new online mining registry next month, a long-delayed move toward greater transparency that ...

South Africa’s mining industry is one of the country’s most important sectors, but it faces mounting challenges that threaten its stability, growth, and ability to create jobs. Mining ...

Mining analyst Peter Major warned that South Africa’s mining industry is not on the right track and poor policy decisions are crushing the sector. Dark clouds gather over South Africa’s most ...

The mine is one of the deepest in South Africa and is a maze of tunnels and levels and has several shafts leading into it. The miners were working up to 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) underground in ...