Two illegal miners were on Tuesday rescued from the disused mines at Stilfontein in North West province, where hundreds of the so-called zama zamas have been holed up underground for months.
As has become the trend, one of the two illegal miners who emerged on Tuesday had a letter attached to him, from his colleagues he had left in the deep mine shaft.
The letter written on a small piece of paper in isiXhosa, started with greetings, and then stated that the people underground were requesting tobacco products of a brand identified as "BB".
The short letter seen by IOL also stated that food is finished in the mine shaft.
Previously, IOL has reported that another miner who emerged from the disused mines at Stilfontein on Monday had a letter which conveyed several requests from the illegal miners holed up underground.
Some of the requested items in the long list in the letter included mayonnaise, washing powder, tomato sauce, beef, Koo canned beans, soap and deodorants.
The letter seen by IOL stated that their relish had finished and therefore they were requesting beef and tinned fish.
The letter also stated that rice has been finished and they were requesting additional portions. The illegal miners also wrote that their paraffin supplies have been depleted and they were requesting more.
Last week, IOL reported that while food was being sent to the miners at Buffelsfontein goldmine in Stilfontein, the High Court in Pretoria found that the police were in breach of the court order which allowed the community, volunteers, and charitable organisations to provide essentials such as food and water to the miners.
This was after a community-based organisation, the Mining Affected Community in Action (Macua), again approached the court following Sunday’s ruling that the SAPS must for now allow miners at Stilfontein to immediately be supplied with food, water, and medication from the community and charitable organisations.
IOL