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.