Stilfontein Illegal Miners’ Request for Condiments Amid Standoff Stumps SA
- The Stilfontein illegal miners have made their latest demands for the items they want authorities to send down to them
- An unknown number of zama zamas remained underground at the disused North West facility amid a standoff with police
- Chirpy online users debated the list of demands after more notes specifying wants and needs were dispatched to the surface
Source: Twitter
STILFONTEIN — The brazen illegal miners hold up underground at Klerksdorp's Stilfontein mine in the North West served up their latest bizarre request.
It comes after the crew of an unknown remaining number — after more illegal miners resurfaced in recent days — dispatched more notes.
Illegal miners' request stumps SA
By Saturday, 7 December 2024, the six Mozambican nationals who re-emerged had taken the total number to 1,420 since 18 October.
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Community volunteers and emergency responders have retrieved eight dead bodies since the first decomposed one on 14 November.
However, there is no indication of how many more remain underground, with estimates pointing to hundreds, though authorities think the widely reported number of 4,500 a few weeks ago is overinflated.
In their latest demands — scribbled in Sesotho on torn-out pieces of paper sent to the surface on a rope — the zama zamas made several uncanny requests.
These included a request for BB tobacco as their supplies thinned.
"Khotsong batsoali. Re kopa sesepa se hlapang le sehlatsoang sa Omo le roll-on. Ra kopa, re khone ho hohlapa. Le tomato sauce, mayaonnaise le seshabo sefelile. Re kopa le tin fish le beef le li naoa tsa Koo."
Translated, the zama zamas requested bath soap and washing powder while noting they were out of meaty relish. Therefore, they wanted tinned fish, beef, tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and Koo baked beans.
In another note, they wrote:
Source: Twitter
While in yet another, they said:
"Khotsong botsoali. Re kopa rice yone e felile le li torch li felile. Ra li kopa le tsone le paraffin e felile tuu. Hape re kopela bakuli ba bang basebelisang lipilisi tsa low blood. Raleboha re kopa hothusoa ka ... batho bana bakula baya hampe hoo."
The illegal miners said they were out of rice and needed torches and paraffin. They also asked for low blood pressure tablets for the sickly in bad shape.
The Gauteng High Court in Tshwane had since ordered the police to send food and water underground from Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm.
No food will be lowered on weekends.
According to an order, contrary to the miners' demands, the authorities will no longer send hazardous substances such as paraffin, gas, and diesel to them.
Keen observers have their say
Locals keeping a close eye on the situation had a field in the comments.
While some cracked up, others asserted that the illegal miners' requests should be satisfied. Briefly News looks at the heated commentary.
@nokylicious wrote:
"Early arrangements for Christmas with that mayonnaise and tomato sauce. Soon, they will request alcohol."
@visse_ss expressed:
"Give those people what they want. It's their constitutional right."
@NadiaFerreira85 offered a sarcastic take.
"For goodness sake! Are we sending down burgers and boxes of fried chicken — without sauces !? What level of inhumanity is this? [The] government must install quality control inspectors to ensure the quality and nutritional value of food for our gold mining tourists. The mayo must be Hellmans and Heinz for the ketchup. And don't forget the Aromat."
@petjoza01 quizzed:
"Eintlik, who is paying [for] these requested items? Ke bo mang batsoadi ba (who are these parents)?"
@koekemoer_no1 said:
"Don't forget to get them Christmas clothes, too."
SAFTU calls for speedy rescue mission
In related news, Briefly News reported that the South African Federal Trade Union (SAFTU) called on the government to speed up efforts to rescue the zama zamas at Stilfontein.
The trade union said it was the government's responsibility to rescue the illegal miners and subject them to the full might of the law.
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Source: Briefly News
