Zimbabwean Government Appeals for Help to Identify Victims of the Stilfontein Mine in South Africa

By Ilyana Sithole

The Zimbabwean government made a public press statement asking the people’s assistance in trying to identify the remains of the deceased Zimbabweans killed during “Operation Vala Umgodi” at the Stilfontein Mine in the Northwest Province of South Africa from August 2024 to January 2025. The operation was launched against illegal mining operations.

Several corpses remain unidentified in South African mortuaries, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to call on the relatives and friends of missing persons to come forward and report. The government is committed to ensuring that identification and repatriation of the deceased are a dignified exercise.

“We are calling on all Zimbabweans who have a family member or friend who could be missing in South Africa, or who could have been killed in ‘Operation Vala Umgodi,’ to come forward and help identify the bodies,” said Mrs P. Chidawanyika.

The Ministry is placing pressure on the identification of the remains to inform families and make proper burial arrangements. They are requesting any information that will help identify the remains.

Zimbabwean nationals possessing information regarding persons missing in the affected districts should report to their nearest Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Station or Provincial/District Social Welfare Offices of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. In South Africa, people can report at the Consulate of the Zimbabwean Mission in Johannesburg.

The Ministry also requested individuals to bring along any information or documentation concerning the identification, such as photographs, dental or medical records, identification documents, or any other identifiable characteristics that can be used for identification of the deceased.

The Zimbabwean government has assured the bereaved families its full cooperation, vowing to ease the identification and to arrange for repatriation of the bodies to their families in time for a decent burial.

For more information, the public may reach the Department of Consular Services and Protection of Zimbabwean Nationals Living Abroad in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation at +263 777 589 059/+263 718 120 347 or legalconsular@gmail.com.