The police have announced plans to send antiretroviral medication to more than 4,000 illegal miners trapped underground in a Stilfontein mine in North West.

One of the community leaders in charge of an operation to rescue the illegal miners at a disused mine in Stilfontein, North West, says they would communicate with the zama zamas underground urging them to move away from the tunnel as mining experts prepare a cage to rescue them.

Community leader Thembile Botman says mining experts were to start preparing from Tuesday and they were told it would take five to six days for them to build a cage that would assist in bringing them to the surface.

The zama zamas, who have been in the mine for days, sent a plea for ARVs in a letter written in isiZulu, citing urgent medical needs.

The illegal miners in Stilfontein who do not want to resurface are not trapped, they just fear being arrested, according to the deputy police commissioner responsible for policing, Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili