Thirty-two illegal miners are in hospital, under police guard after they rescued from a mine shaft near Stilfontein, North West.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
The North West department of health says all illegal miners who are hospitalised at the Hospital are in a stable condition and are also heavily guarded.
Earlier this week, IOL reported that North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng has expressed anger and disappointment following reports of the alleged escape of the kingpins of illegal mining activities at Stilfontein.
IOL reported on Monday that James Neo Tshoaeli or 'Tiger', a Lesotho national, is believed to have escaped police custody after resurfacing from mine shaft 11 at Stilfontein last week.
On Wednesday night, Tshegofatso Mothibedi, spokesperson for the North West department of health said majority of the hospitalised miners are suffering from dehydration.
“It is an issue of water … that is what we realized as a department in as far as those who have been checked by our doctors and nurses. The issue here is dehydration,” Mothibedi told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika.
Regarding the security of the hospitalised miners, who are under arrest, Mothibedi said the security is watertight.
“All our patients, whether it is illegal miners or any other ordinary patients, when they arrive in our facility we make sure that there is premium security. Both visitors and patients are secured. But what we have done in this instance, because this one is quite a unique case involving all sorts of allegations around violence, escapes and all that, we have made sure that we isolate them,” said Mothibedi.
“In the ward that we have isolated them to, we make sure that we work with our own security that are working closely with police officials. Remember that all of them are under heavy police guard, but to top it up, we ensure that we beef our own security in that facility, the Tshepong/Klerksdorp Hospital.”
Law enforcement authorities have intensified their search for Tshoaeli.
James Neo Tshoaeli, also known as Tiger escaped police custody.
Image: SAPS
MEC Morweng has appealed to community members to notify nearby police stations with information regarding the whereabouts of Tshoaeli, who is considered dangerous and a fugitive of justice.
“The fact of the matter is that there are many good police officers out there and if there are those who are involved in aiding Tiger, an example should be made out of them to show them that they have chosen a wrong career in the police and they must be dealt with harshly,” said Morweng.
“We can’t tolerate those kinds of officers in our ranks.”
IOL
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