JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- South African police said Friday they found four bodies in an unused shaft of a mine while investigating reports mine guards shot as many as 20 illegal miners.
The African National Congress condemned the Monday shootings at the mine, owned by relatives of South African President Jacob Zuma and former leader Nelson Mandela, the BBC reported.
The British broadcaster said the owners of Grootvlei gold mine, east of Johannesburg, confirmed their guards had clashed with what they believed were illegal miners. Police confirmed they were investigating reports as many as 20 alleged illegal miners had been shot dead by security at the mine.
Aurora Empowerment Systems, whose chairman is Zuma's nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, owns the mine. The company's managing director is Zondwa Mandela, the grandson of the former leader who battled apartheid.
Louis Lamsley, the general manager of Aurora mines, said he believed the victims were illegal gold miners.
"All the indications are that illegal mining was taking place, if I react to the reports of equipment that was found underground -- gold-extraction equipment -- and the vandalism and theft on the surface operations and underground," he said.
Authorities in South Africa say illegal mining has been on the rise with the increase in gold prices.
