No trace of 2 men believed to be trapped in Clewer mine shaft
A tense and desperate search continues for two men believed to be trapped deep inside a sealed-off abandoned mine shaft near Clewer.
Among the missing is 45-year-old Tshepo Motsiye, who vanished over two weeks ago after reportedly entering the disused Greenside Colliery mine for illegal mining activities.
Since their disappearance on June 13, families, police, mine officials, and local community members have launched an ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
However, the effort has been severely hampered by the extreme hazards posed by the mine's unstable and toxic environment.
As the hours turn into days, anxiety and desperation continue to mount, particularly for Tshepo's family, who are still clinging to hope for his safe return.
According to Captain Vusi Mnisi of Vosman SAPS, Tshepo was last seen leaving home, telling his girlfriend that he was heading to 'Vosman Circle'.
When he failed to return and stopped responding to calls, his girlfriend raised the alarm and contacted his family on June 17.
'Tshepo just didn't come back,' said his sister, Nomsa Motsiye. 'We were worried immediately, but still held on to hope. Then a man came to our house, claiming he had been underground with Tshepo and others, but that Tshepo and another man got trapped.'
Thungela Resources confirmed that on June 18, they were notified by concerned family members that two individuals from the local community may have gained unauthorised access to a sealed-off underground section of Greenside Colliery.
Breaking news | No trace of two men believed to be trapped in an abandoned mine
Read more here: https://t.co/gm7oJ1QfDh#Witbanknews #emalahleni #Vosman #SAPS
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) June 23, 2025
Despite extensive efforts led by SAPS Search and Rescue over the weekend, the whereabouts of the two missing men remain unknown.
Hulisani Rasivhaga, Head of Communications at Thungela Resources, said, 'We are cooperating fully with SAPS, the affected families, and all relevant stakeholders to support the ongoing investigation and search.'
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