More than 500 illegal miners resurface, with 55 set to appear in court

Over the weekend, a total of 565 illegal miners were apprehended, with 225 surfacing on Saturday and 340 more on Sunday.

Desperation due to lack of food and water led illegal miners to surface.

North West Police reports that the 565 resurfaced miners are among the suspected thousands still underground without essential supplies, as Vala Umgodi teams led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Defence Force (SANDF) have sealed off access routes.

Fifty-five of the miners are due to appear in the Stilfontein Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Provincial Police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone told Jacaranda FM News that the miners are facing charges ranging from possession of gold-bearing material, contravention of the immigration act and illegal mining among others.

Mokgwabone says the operation is expected to be conducted in other districts.  

“We are definitely continuing with the Vala Umgodi operation not only in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality – we are also going to have the operation in the Bojanala Platinum District Municipality which is in Rustenburg,”

Meanwhile, Acting police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya said the operation yielded positive results across the country.

“We are closely monitoring the situation that is unfolding in the North West. We are not backing down until all those illegal miners resurface and are arrested. Since its inception in December 2023 to date, more than 13,691 suspects have been arrested in the seven provinces that are hotspots for illegal mining. We have seized R5m in cash and uncut diamonds worth R32m million Operation Vala Umgodi,” said Sibiya.

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