South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused mine shaft and the miners should be recovered safely.

He said described the situation as precarious but urged the police to respect the miners’ rights and not put their lives at risk.

President Cyril Ramaphosa described the Stilfontein mine as a “crime scene”, on Monday, as he called for a peaceful resolution to the standoff at the disused mine shaft, where illegal miners are holed up.

Police say 350-400 people have stayed in Stilfontein mine to avoid arrest after minister vowed to ‘smoke them out’

The South African police intensified efforts to force hundreds of illegal gold miners holed up in underground shafts to the surface so they can be arrested.

The government says it will not help' criminals.' For nearly two weeks, South African police have closely monitored an abandoned gold mine at Stilfontein, about 150 kilometers southwest of Johannesburg.

A South African court ordered police to end a standoff with illegal miners and allow emergency workers to gain access to a shaft where<a class="excerpt-read-more" href=" More