ON Monday morning, 2 December, 21 illegal miners resurfaced.
Seventeen appeared at Margaret Shaft, and four at Shaft 10.
Among them, 12 are Mozambican and nine are Zimbabwean nationals. The ones who came out from shaft 10 only wore trousers.
Police searched them for possessions and checked their health condition. Previously, illegal miners stated they were coming out due to starvation and lack of food underground because of Operation Vala Umgodi.
Zama-zamas claim heavily armed Basotho men, who are in charge underground, make it difficult for others to surface. Three of those who resurfaced on Monday were barefoot, with visible injuries on their legs and backs and bleeding blisters on their palms.
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The blisters reportedly resulted from hanging onto a steel rod while crawling out of the shaft.
One of the miners said: "We last had water on Friday morning. Things are bad at Shaft 10. I'd rather die here than as an illegal miner underground."
Stilfontein community members have volunteered to help the zama-zamas to resurface. They mention it's impossible for miners to resurface without assistance.
On Saturday, 30 November, 11 other miners, including teenagers, came to the surface. Since August, the number of resurfaced illegal miners has exceeded 1 300.
It is expected that more will come to the surface.
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