South Africa's government has said it will not help around 4.000 illegal miners at an illegal mine in the country's North West province because of the country's official policy against illegal mining.
Miners at the Stilfontein mine are believed to be without food, water and other basic necessities after police closed the entrances used to bring them in.
It is part of the police's operation Vala Umgodi, or "Close the Hole", which involves cutting off miners' supplies to force them to return to the ground and be arrested.
Over the past few weeks, more than 1.000 miners have surfaced from multiple mines in South Africa, many weak, hungry and sick after being without basic supplies for weeks. About 20 miners walked out of the Stilfontein mine this Sunday.
A government official told reporters that the government will not send any aid to the illegal miners because they are involved in a criminal act.
"We do not send aid to criminals. Criminals are not helped, criminals should be prosecuted," she said.
Illegal mining remains common in South Africa, miners are often from neighboring countries, and their presence in the mines has also created problems with nearby communities, who complain that illegal miners commit crimes ranging from robbery to rape.
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