Rescued Stilfontein miner dies in hospital due to gastroenteritis and dehydration

One of the illegal miners who were rescued from the disused mines at Stilfontein has died in hospital, the North West provincial Department of Health announced.

Spokesperson Tshegofatso Mothibedi said the miner was admitted at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Tertiary Hospital in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District.

The patient died on Monday, at around 4am, according to Mothibedi.

“The patient, identified as one Mr Koali Rankomo, was admitted after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis and dehydration,” said Mothibedi.

Gastroenteritis is an illness caused by infection and inflammation of the digestive system.

The deceased patient was part of a cohort of 33 illegal miners admitted at the hospital, under police guard, following their arrest last week at the disused mine in Stilfontein, as part of the national rescue operation.

“The department wishes to put it on record that so far, only 32 suspected illegal miners are under its care, with police keeping a hawkish eye on them,” said Mothibedi.

Last week, IOL reported that families of dozens of illegal mineworkers whose bodies were recovered from the disused gold mine are planning to sue the government for damages, according to their legal representatives.

The mineworkers, colloquially referred to as zama zamas, had been holed up underground for months and they insist their colleagues died due to starvation.

According to the General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa), 78 bodies were recovered from the mine after the High Court in Pretoria ordered rescue operations to commence earlier this month.

Giwusa president Mametlwe Sebei said a case would be brought by the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) in which the organisation wants the government held responsible for the deaths.

He said the Constitutional Court case was still at the exchange of correspondences between parties and requests for direction from the apex court to determine if all issues have been exhausted.

“We are just trying to finalise (the) existing Constitutional Court and Pretoria High Court cases but also issues of medical care for the survivors and handover of bodies of the deceased miners to their families at the same time as assembling evidence for criminal charges and possible civil claims,” Sebei explained.

Giwusa has also called for a commission of inquiry to be set up after the horrific revelations emerging from Stilfontein.

“We demand an independent commission of inquiry to fully investigate the events leading to the massacre, the conditions underground, and the actions of all responsible parties; to ensure accountability and hold government officials, police leadership, industry actors, and even morally bankrupt media outlets criminally accountable,” the union stated.

IOL