Central SA
Ekapa mine recovery begins mud-clearing a week after miners trapped─── ZENANDE MPAME 15:30 Tue, 24 Feb 2026
Uncertainty continues to loom over the Ekapa Mining Joint Shaft in Kimberley as the mine’s recovery operation shifts into a critical mud-clearing phase.
It has been a week since five mine workers have been trapped approximately 890m underground in Tunnel 6 following a mudslide. The minister of mineral and petroleum resources, Gwede Mantashe, said the rescue teams are preparing to start removing mud at the mine.
For days, dewatering and drilling teams have battled rising water levels and unstable ground conditions in a complex and hazardous underground environment.
Mantashe provided an update during a briefing to a joint sitting of parliamentary committees on Tuesday (24/2). He said he will return to the site on Friday (27/2) for further inspection.
“Since the incident, approximately 1000m³ of water have been drained from the mine in an effort to stabilize conditions and allow recovery operations to proceed.
“When they start loading the mud, they are closer to the bodies, and once they are closer to the bodies, they will take them out. You cannot talk about life after five days having been overrun by a mud rush. You must do what is called a presumption of death.”
Those who have been underground will know what a mud rush is; it is a sudden flow of mud that runs at neck-break speed and runs over people, he said.
Numsa has, however, criticised authorities for what it describes as a lack of direct engagement with families.
Numsa Kimberley organiser Lerato Mohatlane said the union was concerned that when the tragedy unfolded, senior leaders visited the site but did not meet with affected relatives.
Affected families
“Our concern, firstly, as NUMSA, is that when everything started, you saw that the minister was here, the premier was here, but they never visited the affected families.”
“From the date of the incident up until today, they’ve been trying to pump out water. Even now, the situation remains the same, but we are hoping for the best,” he said.
The company said engagement with the affected families remains ongoing, with regular communication and counselling support being offered. Ekapa also expressed appreciation to employees, contractors, and Proto team members from across the country who have been involved in the operation since Tuesday last week.
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