Illegal miner’s family clings to hope

Father of two has been underground since July last year

13 January 2025 - 09:24
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Zinzi Tom says her family are deeply worried about her brother, who worked as an illegal miner in Stilfontein.
Zinzi Tom says her family are deeply worried about her brother, who worked as an illegal miner in Stilfontein.
Image: Supplied

When illegal miner Ayanda Tom failed to resurface from the abandoned Stilfontein mine at the end of three months, in the same way he used to, his family panicked.

Later, when the media reported news of miners resurfacing and some found dead, his family rushed to the shaft in North West and sent letters underground to him using a rope.

“We wrote that we are outside and he should resurface,” said Tom's sister Zinzi.

However, there was no response from the 26 year old. Zinzi said the family are clinging to the hope he is alive.

Zinzi is fighting for her brother to be brought to surface and is behind the latest bid to force government to rescue illegal miners who are underground, arguing that some face imminent death.

Yesterday, Zinzi said the last time she saw her brother was in July when he told his family he was going back underground. 

“There is nothing we can do, but stay in hope. In Xhosa they say ithemba ilibulale (hope does not kill),” she said.

On Thursday last week, Zinzi, deposed an affidavit at the Pretoria high court seeking government's intervention after it was revealed there were 109 dead bodies in shafts 10 and 11 of the mine. One body was pulled up on Thursday.

It was also revealed in a Constitutional Court hearing that the situation underground was so dire that some miners had resorted to cannibalism.

Government is expected to begin rescue operations today. The cost of the operation, R12m, will be borne by the Minerals Council SA and government.

Yesterday, a grader levelled ground at the mine in preparation for the rescue mission.

Makhosonke Buthelezi, spokesperson for department of mineral resources, said a mobile rescue winder will arrive on site today. He said it was alleged there were 550 illegal miners underground,

Zinzi said she had to approach the courts for government to intervene “because it is becoming too much”.

“My plea to government has always been to rescue them. The minister [in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni] said they will smoke them out, and she has successfully done that because we have bodies underground.”

Zinzi said her brother has been a zama zama for more than two years.

“Usually he goes for two to three months and then he comes back, but when he did not come back around September, we were in panic mode.”

A father of two, Zinzi said her brother told them he had to start making a living because he had been trying to get a job with no success. He used the money from illegal mining to support them as the sole breadwinner, she said.

Zinzi said she worries if her brother is among the more than 100 bodies underground.

“We are not coping as a family.”

This Christmas was the first spent without him, she said.

“It was a very sad moment because we had a family tradition for everyone to be home on Christmas Eve.

“We would braai and on the December 25 slaughter chicken or a goat, depending on our financial state, but my mother said we are not celebrating this one at all.

“My mother said it seems like she is celebrating the death of her child without knowing the situation he is in and she can't risk it'.

Makhosonke Buthelezi, spokesperson for the department of mineral resources, said the mobile rescue winder weighs 45 tonnes and has the capacity to vertically hoist mine employees from 3,000m.

The mine rescue services have estimated it will take about 10 days to remove miners from underground because the winder only takes about 10 people at a time.

SowetanLIVE


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