A 17-year-old girl was lucky to escape with her life recently when she was robbed by three armed illegal miners.

The young girl, Boitumelo* (name changed for safety reasons) told the News that she lives in the Eleadah Complex on the R28 towards Randfontein. They often spot illegal miners close to the complex, and the News had reported on illegal mining activities behind the complex.

Also read: New illegal mining area on our doorstep

On Friday, December 3 just past 17:00 as Boitumelo and her friend were checking the water meters outside the complex they were approached by three illegal miners.

I thought they were just passing by,” she said and added that they often saw the illegal miners walking past.

They have learned that they did not bother you if you did not provoke them.

However, this day it was different.

“They came towards us and I started to panic. I wanted to run but there were a lot of cars passing by.”

Also read: Two killed after suspected illegal mining deal goes wrong

However, her friend ran away and left Boitumelo behind. When she heard a firearm being cocked she decided not to run as she was afraid that they might shoot her.

She had her jacket in her hand and her brand-new Samsung A32 cell phone was in her jacket pocket. She then started walking hoping that if she could walk fast enough she could get away, but the next minute they were behind her.

They told me to stay, but I pretended not hearing them and kept walking.”

Boitumelo said all three the men had firearms and they started pulling her by her arm telling her ‘Let’s go’. She believed they wanted to take her. She tried to free herself and told them to please just leave her alone.

At that moment a car pulled up to help her and one of the men told the others to leave her. Before they ran away he grabbed her jacket. The driver of the vehicle chased after them but lost them in the field.

Boitumelo and her family later went to the bushes at the back of the complex accompanied by a friend who is a security officer. They knew that illegal miners hang out there. There they found her jacket but her phone was gone.

They also found many other items of clothing including jackets, shoes, high-heel shoes and blankets. It was evident that people lived there and stashed their loot there.

The News spoke to Jaco* who is the head of security at the complex, and he said they have implemented extra safety measures because of the large number of illegal miners in the area.

He added that they became bothersome especially at night and even asked the guards on duty for water. Jaco said the police came out a while ago and helped them get rid of the illegal miners behind the complex, but recently they had been returning in even greater numbers.

Boitumelo asked that anyone with any information about her phone please contact the News. The Samsung A32 has purple at the back.