494 illegal miners in court as 24 more emerge from hiding at Sheba Mine in Mpumalanga
As 494 illegal miners who were arrested last week appear in the Barberton Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga on Tuesday, a further 24 have surfaced at the Sheba Mine.
The suspects, who appeared in groups of 50 in the dock, face charges of trespassing, possession of gold-bearing materials, and the contravention of the Immigration Act.
The arrests stem as a result of the South African Police Service's (SAPS) national Operation Vala Umgodi, which tackles the scourge of illegal mining within the borders of South Africa.
The suspects, foreign nationals, are from eSwatini and Mozambique and include minors.
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading But Sheba is not an isolated case. Illegal mining is widespread across South Africa, particularly in areas rich in gold, platinum, and other minerals. 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