Nine bodies retrieved in Stilfontein as phase 3 rescue mission continues

STILFONTEIN -The bodies of nine more illegal miners have been retrieved from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein as rescue experts begin work to clear a shaft occupied by illegal miners known as zama zamas. 

Phase 3 of the official rescue operation kicked off on Monday after a cage was sent down the shaft to retrieve illegal miners underground. 

This is the final stage of the protracted rescue mission expected to bring hundreds of zama zamas back to the surface as law enforcement clamps down on illegal mining in the area. 

READ: Cage set to retrieve illegal Stilfontein miners assembled as phase 3 of recovery operation begins

It's taken two months to get phase three of the rescue operation in Stilfontein going after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu appointed a task team to retrieve illegal miners at the old Buffelsfontein gold mine.

The 12-million operation is the first of its kind. 

Technical teams are now expected to spend the next two weeks at the site where a winder will drop a cage into the 2.5 km deep shaft to retrieve half a dozen illegal miners at a time. 

The cage is expected to go down every hour between 6am and 6pm. 

While a community leader has volunteered to be in the cage when it's hoisted down the shaft, no other community intervention or humanitarian aid can be sent down to the illegal miners during this time. 

So far, nine of the dead bodies seen in a video taken underground have been retrieved. 

Twenty-six illegal miners were also rescued on Monday. 

Operations are set to resume on Tuesday.