South Africa’s government says it will not help a group of illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country’s North West province as part of an official policy against illegal mining.

Officials are hoping the strategy will force the workers out of the mineshaft and to the surface, where they will be arrested.

South Africa’s government says it will not help about 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country’s North West province as part of an official policy against illegal mining.

JOHANNESBURG - South African police were in a standoff on Thursday with hundreds of illegal miners believed to be underground in a disused shaft, a day after a cabinet minister said the government was trying to \"smoke them out\".

South African police and ambulances were at the site Thursday of an old gold mine shaft where around 4,000 illegal miners were claimed to be underground, facing arrest if they surface.

South Africa's government says it will not help an estimated 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.

A body was brought out Thursday of an abandoned gold mine shaft in South Africa where hundreds of illegal miners were believed to be underground, facing arrest if they surface, police said. Thousands of illegal miners,

Upwards of 4,000 illegal miners are believed to be inside an abandoned shaft in the country's North West province. A government minister warned, "we are going to smoke them out." South Africa's government says it is not willing to help around 4,