Johannesburg - Families and fellow zama zamas were debating on whether or not to take the plunge and retrieve two bodies still believed to be trapped inside the mine.
Earlier on Tuesday morning the body of a deceased zama zama was brought to the surface at the disused mine at George Harrison Park in Langlaagte.
“The deceased miner was a 32-year-old man. A docket has been opened and investigations will continue,” Gauteng police spokesman Captain Kay Makhubele said speaking at the scene on Tuesday morning.
Later on Tuesday a family friend of one of the trapped miners, Ethel Musonza, said she was told by a zama zama who emerged from the mine on Monday night that the two bodies were still lying underground in a small tunnel. “They're both believed to be dead. The one body was lying down like it was sleeping and the other looked like it was standing up with its head resting on a rock.
“All we're asking the rescue teams for, is to let us go down and get the bodies,” she said.
Musonza said the zama zamas knew the area better than rescue teams and also had ways of getting through tiny spaces which rescue teams would struggle with. “They can slither through like snakes or crawl through like babies to reach the bodies.”
She added that more lives could have been saved if rescue efforts had commenced straight away instead all the meetings that took place prior. “Life comes first. This is very painful, we just want to bring the bodies back to their families.”
Daroh Tsikwa said one of the bodies belonged to his 25-year-old brother. “They (zama zamas) saw his body but couldn't get to him.
“Dead or alive I will make the sacrifice to go down and get my brother. He's my only brother, we have no choice,” he said.
Tsikwa added that it was important for his family to bury him. “He has a son and for my mother and father, we need to say goodbye.
“We will do everything we can,” he added.
Some of the miners went down to check if there were any other groups down the hole. “There could be fights if we go down into other groups territories. It can be a problem,” said one miner, Amos.
“The bodies are very far, about two kilometres towards the Joburg CBD. There's also a river and snakes. It's dangerous but we will go,” he said.
Short before midday two miners covered in dirt emerged after working underground for two weeks.
They said they worked in a different part of the mine but heard a lot of noise and saw a lot of people.
Soon after they were rushed away by friends for fear they would be arrested.
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The Star