Illegal miners: Remain at risk in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG - Insufficient efforts to combat widespread illegal South Africa mining led to accidents such as the weekend incident that's trapped about 200 men in an abandoned gold mine, analysts say.
"The government leaves it mainly to the mining companies to prevent and minimize illegal mining," said Dirk Bakker, senior lecturer at the School of Mining Engineering of the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. "It is only when there are accidents that rescue organizations and local authorities get involved."
