26 illegal miners granted bail in Barberton court
The Barberton magistrate's court on Monday released the 26 on R2,000 bail each after the court considered they had no previous convictions, had fixed addresses and no pending cases.
They are among hundreds arrested during a joint operation between Sheba Mine and police on Friday, as part of the ongoing Vala Umgodi operation targeting illegal mining syndicates. The arrests included four juveniles.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said 'they face charges, including trespassing, theft of gold-bearing material and contravention of the Immigration Act'.
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