Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. HARARE, May 13 (Newsday Live) – Police have released the names of 20 Zimbabweans who died during the infamous Operation Vala Umgodi, a months-long standoff between South African authorities and illegal miners who were trapped underground at a disused mine in the town of Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg.
At least 78 people died — likely from starvation, according to human rights groups – in the operation which started last August and only ended in January.
About 246 survivors, many of them appearing gaunt and emaciated, were rescued after security officials cut off food and other essential supplies to the miners for several weeks.
Yesterday, Zimbabwean police identified 20 of the people who died.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police has received a request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade from authorities in South Africa to assist in the location and identification of relatives of Zimbabweans who sadly perished in a mine during Operation Vala Umgodi recently,” national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police releases the names of the victims who died during the operation in South Africa. The bodies are yet to be claimed by the next of kin.”
They are Bothwell Mlambo (no next of kin), Bobo Sithole (Maggie Dziva), Gladman Mlambo (unknown next of kin), Blessing Mlambo (unknown), one Shepherd (unknown), Kenisa Majoni (Shadhi Maji, brother), Benard Mamombe (unknown), Trust Makitisa (Meshack Ziyaduma and Lazarus Ziyaduma), Jairosi Pasa (Simon Maronga, Enes Mahachi and Kenas Pasi) and Moses Chidumba (unknown).
There is also Thomas Chipanza (unknown), Jack Mlambo Maeza (Joseph Mlambo), Edzai Mlambo Maeza (unknown), Make Mlambo (Kenas Mlambo), Pindirai Dumbarimwe (Kenas Mlambo), Tendai Mubaiba (unknown), Mebishengs Mutubuki (unknown), Tinashe Shangure (unknown), Tafadzwa Ndlovu (unknown) and Justice Mwapinda (unknown).
Added Nyathi: “Some of the victims’ full particulars are yet to be obtained but concrete information indicates that these are Zimbabweans. The cooperation of relatives will assist in the identification of the victims and repatriation of the bodies for burial in Zimbabwe.”
He urged relatives of friends of the deceased to contact the police National Complaints Desk Number on (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp on 0712 800197 or report at any nearest police station.
Operation Vala Umgodi started in August and over the course of the siege, 1 907 miners resurfaced, while 87 bodies were retrieved.
Most of the survivors were foreign nationals, including 1 125 Mozambicans and 465 Zimbabweans, with only 26 being South Africans, according to the police.
The survivors were arrested and charged with illegal immigration, trespass, illegal mining and other offences.
Investigators faced “a mammoth task” in identifying the dead as some of the bodies were already decomposing, and in some cases just bones, the South African police said in January this year.
The General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa) condemned the police operation, describing it as “the dehumanisation and criminalisation of these poor, desperate miners”.
“This is a bloody culmination of treacherous policies pursued by the government. This was a campaign of lies,” its president Mametlwe Sebei told reporters early this year.
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