More than 40 illegal miners arrested in separate incidents in the North West
JOHANNESBURG - More than 40 zama zamas have been arrested in separate incidents in the North West this week, as police in the province continue with Operation Vala Umgodi to clamp down on illegal mining.
The group, aged between 18 and 47, face various charges, including the Contravention of the Immigration Act.
North West police spokesperson Adele Myburgh said the latest arrests were made in Sun City, Mogwase and Tlhabane.
'All mentioned suspects will appear in the Bafokeng and Mankwe Magistrates' Courts, respectively. The suspects are from different countries, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Nigeria and Lesotho.'
The North West is among seven provinces impacted by illegal mining, with a massive operation leading to the arrest of hundreds of illegal miners in Stilfontein earlier this year.
Myburgh said police are worried about the involvement of foreign nationals in the commission of crime, threatening the country's national security.
'The involvement of foreign nationals in the commission of crime, whether aided or abetted by South Africans, poses a serious threat to national security and as such requires a collaborative effort by civil society and various government's security and social departments such as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Border Management Authority, Customs/ South African Revenue Services (SARS), Home Affairs Immigration, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).'
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