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South African Union Calls Mine Siege 'State-Sponsored Massacre'

The General Industries Workers Union has condemned what it called "the dehumanisation and criminalisation" of poor miners by the South African authorities. Rescuers this week brought to the surface more than 200 illegal miners who were trapped underground for months at Stilfontein mine near Johannesburg. Dozens of bodies were also recovered in the rescue operation.

The illegal miners, known in South Africa as "zama zamas", have been in the unused mine since the police launched an operation to crack down on the illegal activity. The authorities earlier said they were refusing to come out for fear of arrest - a claim disputed by civil society groups who said the miners were too weak to come to the surface.

The rescue operation was court-ordered, and police have not confirmed how many miners, living or dead, remain trapped.

InFocus

Ihsaan Haffejee/GroundUP

Men involved in a rescue operation wait near the mineshaft.

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