Impact of illegal mining on local communities
On Tuesday, Pan African Resources said that trying to arrest the illegal miners with their own security teams is costing the company.
It's one of the reasons for retrenchments.
In December in Sabie in Mpumalanga, 153 illegal miners were brought to the surface highlighting the dangers of rescue operations.
Three miners lost their lives.
The police's Vala Umgodi operation was launched in December 2023 and its targeting illicit mining in seven provinces including Mpumalanga.
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eNCA
11 hours ago
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Impact of illegal mining on local communities
BARBERTON - Over the last few days we've been watching as hundreds of illegal miners have resurfaced from the Sheba mine in Barberton in a joint operation between the police and the mine. On Tuesday, Pan African Resources said that trying to arrest the illegal miners with their own security teams is costing the company. It's one of the reasons for retrenchments. In December in Sabie in Mpumalanga, 153 illegal miners were brought to the surface highlighting the dangers of rescue operations. Three miners lost their lives. The police's Vala Umgodi operation was launched in December 2023 and its targeting illicit mining in seven provinces including Mpumalanga.
Eyewitness News
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4 of the nearly 500 illegal miners arrested at Mpumalanga gold mine are juveniles
BARBERTON - It has emerged that four of the nearly 500 illegal miners arrested during a police raid at Mpumalanga's Sheba gold mine were juveniles. The suspects appeared in the Barberton Magistrate's Court on Monday. Twenty-six South Africans with confirmed addresses were granted bail of R2,000 each. The case against the rest has been postponed to next week Monday. Friday's raid, part of the national "Vala Umgodi" crackdown, is being described as one of the biggest illegal mining busts in recent years. Nearly 500 people were flushed out from underground, suspects from as far as Mozambique and eSwatini among them. Police also seized gold-bearing material, mining tools and even a firearm. The four juveniles will be dealt with in terms of the Child Justice Act — a process that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punitive sentencing. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)'s Monica Nyuswa said it would be challenging for all the accused to be granted bail. "So most of the accused, since they're coming from different countries, some are coming from Mozambique others from Zimbabwe, they were all denied bail, not necessarily denied bail but they were remanded in custody." Meanwhile, authorities expect more illegal miners to surface in the coming days, including the 24 who resurfaced on Monday after spending the weekend underground.
Eyewitness News
21 hours ago
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Mpumalanga NPA waiting for police docket before prosecuting 24 resurfaced illegal miners
JOHANNESBURG - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga said it's waiting for the police docket before it can proceed with the prosecution of 24 illegal miners who resurfaced from a mine in Barberton. The group is linked to Friday's mass arrest of almost 500 zama zamas at Sheba Mine. ALSO READ: - 4 of the nearly 500 illegal miners arrested at Mpumalanga gold mine are juveniles - Mpumalanga police arrest 24 more illegal miners at Sheba Gold Mine - 7 out of 500 illegal miners arrested in Mpumalanga granted bail of R2,000 each The 24, believed to have gone deeper into the mine to hide during the initial raid, spent the entire weekend underground before emerging on Monday. The mass police operation, part of the national 'Vala Umgodi' crackdown, has been described as one of the biggest illegal mining busts in recent years. Police said the operation led to the seizure of gold bearing material, mining equipment and even a firearm. The NPA said the 24 resurfaced miners will appear in court once the necessary paperwork is handed over by police. "The case has been postponed to the 11th and 12th of August 2025 for verification of addresses and possible bail application. All other accused were remanded in custody," said spokesperson Monica Nyuswa. Authorities expect more miners to come up from underground in the coming days, as the mine remains under strict police watch. Illegal mining, or zama zama activity, has long been a problem at Sheba Mine, with security forces regularly finding foreign nationals and undocumented workers operating deep below ground.
