Stilfontein standoff: NGO's court bid to provide illegal miners with humanitarian aid dismissed

The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an NGO's urgent application for the go-ahead to provide humanitarian aid to illegal miners who refuse to come out of an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein in the North West.The Society for Protection of Our Constitution approached the court with the application in which it also challenged the constitutionality of police action against illegal miners and wanted the court to compel police to rescue them. The court found that there was no evidence proving that the police hadn't responded to the situation in a measured and considerate manner. Judge Brenda Neukircher said the police acted within the bounds of the law. Phemelo speaks to legal expert Mpumelelo Zikalala, legal representative for The Society for the Protection of Our Constitution Yasmin Omar, MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management in the North West Wessels Morweng and Spokesperson for the Departement of Mineral Resources and Energy Makhosonke Buthelezi.