‘We know it's wrong, but they're trying to make a living,' say families of arrested illegal miners
Angry Barberton community members have called for the release of the alleged illegal miners who were arrested at the Sheba Mine shaft on Friday.
At least 1 000 alleged illegal miners were arrested during Operation Vala Umgodi, which disrupted the illegal mining operations, resulting in some of them resurfacing.
'It has been discovered through the operation that most of the miners, if not all, are foreign nationals without valid documentation to be in the country,' said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.
'It was also discovered that some of these miners could be underage, hence police are working in conjunction with officials from the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Minerals and Energy, the National Prosecution Authority, as well as other law enforcement agencies.'
ALSO READ: Nearly 1 000 undocumented illegal miners retrieved from MP mine
On Monday, 494 of the alleged illegal miners appeared in the Baberton Magistrate's Court facing a charge of Contravention of the Immigration Act and trespassing.
The case was postponed to Thursday, 7 August, for them to get legal representation.
Illegal miners' families: 'Release them'
Families of the suspects and some community members gathered outside the court in support of the illegal miners, calling for their release.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, the community members called for free bail, saying they could not afford to bail their loved ones.
ALSO READ: PICS: Over 100 suspects arrested in illegal mining crackdown in North West and Limpopo
'I am heartbroken. These fathers are trying to make a living for themselves; they have IDs and passports, but they don't get employed. Now they're trying to make a living. The scourge of house breaking, rapes and murders is now low because of these men who are trying to make a living for themselves,' said one of the women who spoke to the news channel.
'How will they survive if they are getting arrested? We request free bail because these men do not have money. They went in yesterday and got arrested. They don't have money. It means once they are released, they must start from scratch. Can they release them on free bail because we do not have money to pay their bail.'
Another one said, though they knew illegal mining was wrong, the men did not have many options and needed to make a living.
ALSO READ: 'The smell of death was everywhere' – Stilfontein mine volunteers recount rescue mission
'They arrested our brothers and husbands. As the community of Bartberton, we are struggling with employment because they tell us we have criminal records because of the issue of trespassing. We are struggling and unemployment. We cannot rely on the R350 and R500 grants. They are trying to make a living. We know it's wrong, but today we are requesting free bail because we do not have money to bail them out.'
Barberton crime
Mdhluli contradicted the community member who claimed crime was down in the community due to these men making a living through illegal mining.
He said the crime was high in the area due to the illegal miners.
'There is a mine that is operating legally, and on the side, there are others conducting illegal mining. Barberton has been a lot of challenges in terms of criminality, with illicit mining, firearms coming on board. And these firearms are the ones that are used to take the lives of people around the area. So we need to deal with crime without fear or favour.'
He said there were more miners underground who refused to resurface.
NOW READ : Illegal mining underneath Snake Road
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