A suspected illegal miner who was one of more than 100 men rescued from an abandoned mine in Sabie, Mpumalanga has claimed "kidnappers" plied him with alcohol and promised him a job, only to take him to a disused mine the next day to force him at gunpoint to go underground.
Speaking to _Sowetan_ on condition of anonymity, as he is not allowed to speak to the media, a police officer who was at the scene of the rescue mission said the Mozambican national told them he was unemployed and living at an informal settlement in Sabie when he met the "kidnappers" at a shebeen.
Excited about the prospect of landing a job, he claimed he was kidnapped and made to work underground until police rescued him and others last week.
The man, who is in police custody because he is in SA illegally, was rescued with suspected kidnappers believed to have coerced him and others into illegal mining.
William Modise, Khantlapane Mathotta, Thabiso Lebesa, Mokola Mothae, Khoase Mokhupi, Mankane Mochoko and Foka Mochatso appeared at the Sabie magistrate's court on Monday where they faced charges of kidnapping, illegal mining and contravention of the Immigration Act.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli told _Sowetan_ investigations have shown the suspected kidnappers were among those who recruited and coerced some illegal miners to go underground.
"We have released 10 suspects who are South Africans after we found they were victimss. They were recruited forcefully to work in the mine. We regard all the other illegal miners as victims of kidnapping, but have charged them with contravention of the Immigration Act. We have separately charged eight illegal miners who are foreign nationals with kidnapping and illegal mining," he said.