Diligent maintenance and inspections, led to the discovery at the abandoned shaft, where Dikgetho Hadi, Thebogo Thebano, Kompi Kompi, Magube Phasa, Vusi Moeti, Mashale Ralenka, Thabiso Shakgane, Cheele Molothana, Saseri Maditsane, Tledi Mokone, Noalosi Kolethi and Leonard Vilikazi, gained access through a hole in the seal of the ventilation shaft.

At first discovery of the hole, a guard was permanently posted at its location, until an investigation could say whether illegal miners were indeed operating underground.

Zama Zamas, as the illegal diggers are known, are notorious for packing firepower, to back them.

When it became apparent that a number of men were trapped, a massive recovery operation, involving two cranes, Proto teams, the SAPS’s search and rescue wing, SAPS criminal investigators and mine security, were immediately hauled in.

An arduous underground search was launched for the men who were located, but had to be hoisted from the ventilation shaft by one crane, after the gigantic fan was removed.

Rescuers however could not descend to where the men were trapped, in order to avoid a hostage situation, since they didn’t know how armed and hostile the Zama Zamas were.

A relationship of trust first had to be established between sergeant Leon Harrington and the men.

First he had to know how many of them were there, and whether there had been any casualties, they answered 12, and all alive.

Liquids were immediately lowered to the men, who said they had been stuck in the shaft for ten days.

Knowing that they would be arrested and charged, it took sergeant Harrington a while to persuade them that it was a life or death situation, and that the only way out was to be hoisted from their predicament. They reluctantly agreed.

One by one, all twelve were hoisted from the shaft, and arrested on the spot.

Their sole purpose was to steal copper, of which around 300kg was found, when sergeant Harrington, fellow SAPS rescuer W/o Andre Smit, and members of the mine’s Proto team, inspected their doomsday lair. The entire operation lasted more than 12 hours. No weapons were found.

According to Glencore’s Shanduka Operation Director, Mr Zirk van der Bank, the entire searched and rescue operation went smoothly, due to the utter professionalism and acumen of all involved.

“I can say I was honestly impressed,” he said, adding that the unnecessary operation’s bill amounted to R2 million.

“Because of our maintenance and inspection routines, the hole was discovered and twelve lives saved,” Mr Van der Bank said.

There are guards on patrol, but the men said they slipped in just after the guards made their rounds.

“The reality of illegal mining and underground thefts are that the odds are against the perpetrator, odds are they will be caught, they will go to prison, or they will die trying.”

All twelve appeared in the Blinkpan Magistrates Court on Monday on charges of attempted copper cable theft and trespassing.

All of them entered the country illegally.

• There was an upside to all the drama, and that is that a Barn Owl was saved by the rescue teams after having been found in the search with its mate. The mate could however not be taken to safety.

See video here:

Video: Copper thieves found trapped

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