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Bloemfontein - The rehabilitation of one of the oldest and
richest mine shafts in the Free State goldfields region has been completed, the
Volksblad newspaper reported on Thursday.
The St Helena gold mine's number four shaft at one stage
housed an underground wine cellar. It was in the news last year when it became
the grave for a group of illegal miners whose bodies could not be retrieved.
In September last year it was alleged that an estimated 10
zama zamas, as illegal miners are commonly called, were killed by their
competitors near the shaft.
The bodies were wrapped in blankets and dumped into the
number four shaft. Authorities decided it was too dangerous to try and retrieve
the bodies and the rehabilitation programme started.
The number four shaft was one of various shafts being
rehabilitated by the Harmony Gold Mining Company [JSE:HAR].
Harmony's executive head on environment, Melanie
Naidoo-Vermaak, said rehabilitation of the neighbouring number two shaft was
continuing.
Between 50 000 and 80 000 tonnes of rubble are needed to
fill an average mine shaft. The material is being taken from old mine
buildings in the area being demolished.
Various others would be rehabilitated within the next six months.
