---
title: "South African police launch manhunt for gang leader of illegal mine"
description: "JOHANNESBURG, Jan 20 (Reuters) - South African police have launched a manhunt for a Lesotho gang member believed to have controlled operations at an illegal gold mine where 78 bodies were recoveredlast week during a police siege, from which he escaped."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Stilfontein"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-01-20-south-african-police-launch-manhunt-for-gang-leader-of-illegal-mine/"
published: "2025-01-20T12:34:44"
updated: "2025-01-20T12:34:46"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 304
---

# South African police launch manhunt for gang leader of illegal mine

> JOHANNESBURG, Jan 20 (Reuters) - South African police have launched a manhunt for a Lesotho gang member believed to have controlled operations at an illegal gold mine where 78 bodies were recoveredlast week during a police siege, from which he escaped.

By Reuters · Published 20 January 2025, 14:34 SAST · Updated 20 January 2025, 14:34 SAST

## Key points
- In a plot twist that could rival a B-grade action movie, the alleged gold mining kingpin "Tiger" not only emerged from the depths of a police-surveilled mine but also managed to escape custody with a little help from his "friends" in uniform, leaving behind a trail of hunger, chaos, and a few very emaciated miners.
- Alleged kingpin "Tiger" escaped police custody during a surveillance operation at a Stilfontein mine, prompting investigations into official complicity.
- The South African Police Service faced backlash for a months-long operation that cut off food and water supplies to miners, forcing a state-sponsored rescue of 246 survivors.
- Police attribute deaths to gang leaders, claiming miners reported food hoarding by "Tiger" and his associates.
- Illegal gold mining in South Africa involves thousands, often led by Lesotho-based gangs, with many workers unaware of the dangers involved.

## Content

The alleged kingpin, known as "Tiger," surfaced from the mine in Stilfontein while it was under police surveillance and escaped from custody with the help of officials, a statement from the South African Police Service said on Monday.

"Extensive investigations and tracing operations are underway to find those officials who aided his escape between shaft 11 and the Stilfontein police holding cells," the statement said.

Police were widely condemned for the [months-long operation](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3MM0SJ&linkedFromStory=true) in which they [cut off food and water supplies](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N3MM0SJ&linkedFromStory=true) to the miners in an attempt to force them out of the mine to face arrest.

The stand-off culminated in a state-sponsored rescue operation last week in which 246 survivors were retrieved from the deep mine, many of whom were emaciated and weak from hunger.

But police claim the gang leaders were to blame for the deaths, citing reports from some miners who said there was food underground but the kingpins kept it for themselves.

Thousands of people are believed to be involved in illegal gold mining in abandoned industrial mines in South Africa in search of leftover gold. Some of the workers spend months at a time underground.

The lucrative industry is known to be run by Lesotho-based gangs, and police say some of the workers are illegal immigrants recruited from neighbouring countries without knowledge of what they have come to do.

Tiger was named in statements by miners as a ring leader who ran operations, the police statement said.

"He is also being accused by some illegal miners... (as) being allegedly responsible for some deaths, assault and torture that is alleged to have taken place according to videos in police possession. He is also alleged to have hoarded and kept food away from other illegal miners," it said.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alexander Winning and Bernadette Baum)