In a devastating situation that underscores the perils of illegal mining in South Africa, more than 100 illegal miners are presumed dead from starvation and dehydration within the Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, located near Stilfontein.

The grim discovery came after months of police-enforced blockades on vital supplies intended to compel miners out of the hazardous underground environment.

The ongoing rescue efforts, initiated Monday, have so far retrieved 36 bodies and successfully brought 82 survivors to the surface.

Yet, the terrifying scope of the disaster gained further clarity on Thursday with the surfacing of communications hinting at 109 deceased miners still beneath ground.

Video evidence circulated by the activist group Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) provides chilling visuals of over 50 wrapped bodies within the mineshaft.

The Buffelsfontein site's harrowing episode is part of a comprehensive police crackdown termed Operation _Vala Umgodi_ (plug the hole), launched in late 2023. This was a bid to halt illegal mining activities that have exploded across South Africa's north-eastern gold-rich regions, where abandoned industrial mines serve as fertile grounds for informal miners.

Illegal mining, colloquially known as _zama zama_, has become a pervasive issue, fuelled by lucrative returns and managed by organised crime syndicates.

It is estimated that around 30,000 such miners in South Africa contribute roughly 10% of the country’s overall gold production from around 6,000 largely forsaken mineshafts.

Ongoing rescue operations currently employ a private firm, Mines Rescue Services, which operates a crane-winched cage designed to extract six individuals per hour from the daunting depths of the 1.2-mile shaft.

Due to the high risk of armed confrontations, only local volunteers venture down to assist in these perilous rescue efforts.

Police and state workers remain cautious due to the miners' known affinity to arms and reports suggesting miners have been held against their will.

The narratives emerging from the miner groups themselves sharply contest the official line.

While police maintain that miners can freely exit, activists and rights groups argue that many are trapped due to inaccessibility and physical debilitation.

This discord culminated in a legal battle initiated by families and activist groups to secure the allowance of essential supplies below ground.

The situation in Stilfontein mirrors broader regional challenges, with similar unlawful mining incidents reported across Africa.

Notably, Interpol's recent crackdown on unregulated gold mining in West Africa resulted in 200 arrests, revealing the environmental and health ramifications via networks reliant on toxic chemicals for extraction.

The crisis has attracted scrutiny towards the South African government’s strategic and humanitarian stance, especially after controversial comments from Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who previously asserted a hardline approach towards "criminal" miners.

Authorities, alongside international partners, continue to navigate the complexities of rescuing the remaining trapped individuals while addressing long-term solutions to the illegal mining plague shaping South Africa’s mining industry landscape.