Bodies and emaciated zama zamas recovered from Stilfontein mine
The family of the miner who brought the court action to get government to rescue them remain hopeful that he is still alive underground
A miner too weak to walk in carried on a stretcher during the government’s rescue operations on Tuesday afternoon at the unused mine in Stillfontein in North West Province. Hundreds of zama zamas have been trapped in the mine for weeks with little access to water, food and medication. Photos: Ihsaan Haffejee
Rescue operations are in full swing at the disused mine in Stilfontein in the North West. Over 50 frail zama zamas as well as several bodies were brought to the surface on Tuesday afternoon.
Watching from a distance with other journalists at the scene, forensic workers dressed in full personal protective equipment were seen loading at least five body bags into a nearby truck on Tuesday.
Activists claimed 81 miners have been rescued in the past two days and 34 bodies have been recovered. GroundUp is unable to confirm this.
The rescue is being conducted by the company, Mines Rescue Services, using a cage attached to a huge crane to reach deep into the mineshaft. Police cordoned off the area, preventing media and community members from accessing the scene.
The rescue operation commenced on Monday after an urgent court application was brought by Zinzi Tom, a community member whose brother, Ayanda Tom, is among the hundreds of miners who have been underground since July.
An emaciated miner is helped into a nearby ambulance by medical officials.
The High Court on Friday ordered the state to finalise and send a service-level agreement and a letter of appointment to Mines Rescue Services for the rescue to begin.
“I have mixed feelings about how this whole thing was handled. Why couldn’t they have started the rescue operation earlier? Maybe some lives could have been saved,” said Tom, who is yet to hear any word about her brother’s condition.
Zinzi Tom’s brother, Ayanda Tom, is among the hundreds of miners that remained trapped underground.
“One of the miners who was rescued [on Monday] said that he saw my brother two weeks ago but had not seen him since. As a family we are just praying that he is brought to the surface alive,” she said.
Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu and Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe also visited the site on Tuesday.
Community members and organisations protest as the ministers of police and of mineral resources visit the rescue site on Tuesday.
On the road to the mineshaft, community members and civil society organisations staged a picket, calling for accountability for what they say has been the State’s inaction and tardiness regarding the rescue operation.
During the ministers’ press conference, the media were briefly allowed closer to the site. Emaciated miners were being helped into a nearby ambulance. One miner was carried on a stretcher as he was unable to walk.
The two ministers’ motorcade was blocked by protesters, demanding the officials address them.
A protester holds up a placard drawing parallels with the Marikana massacre.
Addressing the crowd, president of the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa Mametlwe Sebei blamed the government and the ministers for the loss of life at the mine. Shielded by police, both ministers then left in their cars.
“These ministers think that they are above the law. They can’t even address people who have lost loved ones underground. We are not going to leave this situation as is; we are going to continue to demand accountability as people have been starved to death down there,” said Zethu Hlatshwayo from the Association of Artisanal Miners.
The rescue continues tomorrow.
The area around the rescue site remained heavily guarded.
The company, Mines Rescue Services, is using its large crane to lower a cage into the deep mineshaft.
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