By Masechaba Sefularo.
The North West police have confirmed the number of illegal miners who resurfaced from abandoned shafts in Stilfontein has reached more than 1,000.
They have been coming up in groups since the 18th of October.
Over the weekend, a total of 565 illegal miners were apprehended, with 225 surfacing on Saturday and 340 more on Sunday.
On Tuesday, 06 November, 55 suspects, who were arrested at the weekend, made their first court appearance on charges of possession of gold-bearing material, contravention of the Immigration Act, and illegal mining, among others.
These arrests are part of the ongoing Vala Umgodi Operation, a joint initiative led by the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Illicit Mining Team, in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary Vala Umgodi operation team in the area.
However, charges against them were withdrawn.
“They were, nevertheless, detained by Immigration Officials in terms of Section 34 of the Immigration Act, 2002, pending deportation order,” said police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone.
Mokgwabone has previously refuted claims that miners were trapped underground, adding that they were instead forced to come up for food and water after officers blocked routes that were being used to deliver supplies to them underground.
While illegal mining and the crimes associated with it remained a concern, specialist publication Mining Review Africa said questions were being asked about whether law enforcement’s approach could lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, during his 100 days in office briefing in Mahikeng, Premier Lazarus Mokgosi lauded law enforcement officers for their work.
“We take this opportunity to commend the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force for their unwavering commitment to rooting out illegal mining in the province – particularly in the City of Matlosane local municipality. We need to drive a community-safe environment around mining areas.”
The government launched the multi-disciplinary operation following growing calls for decisive action over criminal incidents, including mass shootings believed to be turf wars.
Authorities have estimated the cost of illegal mining to be over R70 billion annually in gold alone.
Since its inception in December 2023, more than 13,691 suspects have been arrested in the seven provinces that were flagged as hotspots for illegal mining.