A tragic rescue has led to a veteran zama zama miner from Stilfontein, North West, dying of dehydration.
A ZAMA ZAMA from Stilfontein dies of dehydration.
The man, rescued from shaft 11 of the Stilfontein, North West, abandoned mines, was part of a multi-million-rand rescue effort that included 246 miners.
The zama zama died on Monday, 20 January, around 4.23am after being admitted to Klerksdorp-Tshepong Tertiary Hospital.
He was admitted after being retrieved underground with other miners during the rescue operation. The health department identified the patient as Koali Rankomo.
Department spokesman Tshegofatso Mothibedi confirmed that the deceased was admitted after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis and dehydration.
“The deceased was part of a group of 33 illegal miners admitted to the hospital, under police guard, after their arrest last week at the Stilfontein disused mine during the National Rescue Operation,” he said.
Mothibedi said only 32 suspected illegal miners remain in their care, with police keeping a close watch over them.
However, this incident has raised concerns among the Stilfontein Solidarity Committee about whether the ‘sick’ illegal miners in jail will survive.
A member of the Stilfontein Solidarity Committee Johannes Qankanse told Daily Sun: “One person died under the government’s watch. What could happen to those in jail who aren’t receiving treatment?”Â
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He claimed that after the rescue mission, survivors should have been hospitalised immediately. Instead, they were jailed and processed by the SAPS, mostly for pending deportation due to their violation of the Immigration Act.
Qankanse accused government of negligence and claimed that more miners would die if not medically treated, as they lived for months underground without food and water.
“During the rescue mission, only 25 out of the 246 survivors were hospitalised despite doctors and healthcare workers’ urgent pleas to admit more to save lives. This weekend, nine survivors were admitted with symptoms of refeeding syndrome,” he said.
He further claimed that those who have endured starvation and dehydration for months are at risk of refeeding syndrome, which can be fatal.
“This can be prevented by experienced medical professionals feeding these survivors correctly. There have also been reports of deadly typhoid among the deceased, which is alarming. Survivors are severely immunocompromised, on the verge of death, and can’t afford to contract typhoid without antibiotic treatment,” he said.
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