Residents, led by community activist and Myburgh Foundation founder Randy Christian, are intensifying calls for urgent intervention to drain and permanently close a local mining shaft believed to be key to the search for missing resident Fazel Benns.

Frustration is mounting over delays in accessing the shaft, which community members believe may hold crucial answers. Alongside the Myburgh Foundation, residents have appealed to the local municipality and mining companies to act swiftly, with a petition also submitted calling for the shaft to be drained.

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Christian said draining the shaft is essential to enable a thorough search, warning that without intervention, the chances of locating Benns or providing closure for his family remain slim.

Residents have also raised broader concerns about the safety risks posed by abandoned or unsecured mining shafts, saying the situation highlights the need for stronger collaboration between mining companies, government authorities and affected communities.

Rand West City Executive Mayor William Matsheke confirmed in a letter to the foundation that the municipality will engage the mining company, emergency services and regulatory bodies to address the matter, including draining the shaft and clearing debris.

The community has urged all stakeholders to prioritise human dignity and safety over administrative delays, calling for resources to be mobilised to make the shaft accessible to investigation teams. 

The Randfontein Herald has approached the mining company, which the municipality says is responsible for the shaft, but had not received a response at the time of publication. Updates will be published as they become available.

As pressure mounts, Toekomsrus residents remain united in their demand for action, hopeful that the intervention will bring answers in the search for Benns.