Volunteers wait their turn to help with rescue efforts at Stilfontein mine. Photo by Morapedi Mashashe
FROM ARVs to beef, mayonnaise and tobacco, illegal miners in Stilfontein, North West have Mzansi on its toes with their demands.
But on Wednesday, 11 December, an alleged illegal miner who was pulled from the mine said people are dying of hunger.
The zama zama said he started to feel unwell in November and has been urinating blood for three weeks.
“It’s been four months without going to the toilet. I haven’t been urinating or pooping in those four months. I started to urinate blood three weeks ago,” he said.
He said that they have medication for the sick underground, but they can’t take it without eating.
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“I’m on HIV treatment and I can’t take medication without eating. My body is always painful, but I can’t take any medication with a hungry stomach,” he said.
The zama zama also revealed that more than 300 people are critically ill and the bosses underground are handing out medication to those who are sick. He said more illegal miners could lose their lives due to hunger as they are working on empty stomachs.
“We’ve been dying of hunger since Operation Vala Umgodi started. We haven’t been eating since September. We just walk around the mines underground without knowing our fate. People are hungry down there,” he said.
The zama zama said that someone sicker than him won’t be able to use the ropes to resurface as it is risky. “It’s about 1,5km down. You can’t do it while sick and hungry. If about 50 people resurface in a day, everyone will be out in a month.
“If this week ends and people haven’t resurfaced, more than 100 bodies will be retrieved. People are dying of hunger down there,” he said.
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