The government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Mining are at advanced stages in finding means to bring to surface the bodies of at least 30 illegal miners at a disused mine in Free State.
Suspected illegal miners are believed to have died underground. Three bodies have been recovered.
Lesotho Minister of mining, Mohlomi Moleko, says he is in talks with other Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministers for the release of R42-billion of unclaimed terminal benefits seating various South African investment companies.
Moleko says that the plight of Basotho nationals involved in illegal mining in South Africa is the reason he joined politics.
He says this is the first proposal he laid before his counterpart, the Energy Minister Gwede Manatashe.
Moleko says Lesotho is a beneficiary of up to R12-billion worth of money, just seating in various asset managers accounts in South Africa, which could be used to address serious economic woes caused by the closure of these mines.
The government of Lesotho says it is pleading with all its nationals in South Africa to abide and uphold laws of the land in order to preserve the cordial relations.
VIDEO | Police probing deaths of 31 miners at disused mine in the Free State:
