Latest news with #MonicaNyuswa
Eyewitness News
06-08-2025
- Eyewitness News
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
06-08-2025
- Eyewitness News
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.
The Herald
05-08-2025
- The Herald
26 illegal miners granted bail in Barberton court
Twenty-six of more than 480 people arrested in a major illegal mining crackdown in Barberton have been granted bail. 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'.
The Citizen
05-08-2025
- The Citizen
Barberton Court grants bail to 26 suspected illegal miners
More than 480 individuals, including four juveniles, appeared in the Barberton Magistrate's Court on August 4 following a major crackdown on illegal mining. The accused are facing a range of serious charges, including trespassing, theft of gold-bearing material, and contravention of the Immigration Act. According to Monica Nyuswa, the spokesperson for the Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority, the accused were apprehended at the Sheba Mine in Barberton. ALSO READ: WATCH: About 1 000 suspected illegal miners arrested in Barberton 'The arrests were made on Friday, August 1, during a joint operation between Sheba Mine and the police. The operation is part of the ongoing, multi-agency initiative known as Vala Umgodi, which is specifically designed to disrupt and dismantle illegal mining syndicates operating in the region. ALSO READ: Over 1 000 illegal miners arrested across Lowveld 'During the proceedings, the court granted bail of R2 000 each to 26 of the accused. This decision was based on several factors, including the fact that they have no previous convictions, possess fixed addresses, and have no pending cases. These accused were strongly warned against committing any further offences while on bail,' Nyuswa said. #sapsMP [DEVELOPING] Approximately 1000 (or even more) illegal immigrants were apprehended at a certain mine in Barberton today, Friday 01/08 during Operation Vala Umgodi. The collaboration between the National Roving team, K9 (Dog) Unit, Task Force, Vukalanga Security, members… — SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 2, 2025 Nyuswa also the state has indicated its intention to oppose bail for all other accused who have previous convictions or pending cases. The remaining individuals have been remanded in custody. The matter has been postponed to August 11 and 12 to allow for the verification of addresses and for possible bail applications.
TimesLIVE
05-08-2025
- TimesLIVE
26 illegal miners granted bail in Barberton court
Twenty-six of more than 480 people arrested in a major illegal mining crackdown in Barberton have been granted bail. 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'. Nyuswa said the court warned those granted bail not to commit any offence while on release. 'The state intends to oppose bail for those with previous convictions and pending cases,' she said. The remaining accused were remanded. The case was postponed to August 11 and 12 for address verification and possible further bail applications. The NPA said illegal mining has a negative effect on the economy and society, posing risks to health and safety and contributing to environmental degradation.
