The government of South Africa said on Thursday it will not assist a group of illegal miners who became trapped in a mine shaft with minimal supplies after police sealed off the entrance.

The miners can leave at any time, provided they are ready to be placed under arrest by the police waiting for them outside.

The illegal gold mine has been targeted by a police operation called Vala Umgodi (“Close the Hole,”) which aims to crack down on unlicensed digs by sealing off the mine entrances employed by illegal crews to obtain food, water, and other supplies.

The miners are kno