South African police in standoff with hundreds of illegal miners in disused shaft

South African police in standoff with hundreds of illegal miners in disused shaft

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African police were in a standoff on Thursday with hundreds of illegal miners believed to be underground in a disused shaft, a day after a cabinet minister said the government was trying to "smoke them out". Police have been trying for weeks to empty the abandoned gold mine in the North West province as part of a crackdown on illegal mining, which has plagued South continue reading...