Latest news with #ValaUmgodi
Eyewitness News
4 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Third batch of zama zamas from Sheba mine set to appear in court
The rest of that group, mostly foreign nationals without passports, were remanded in custody, along with the majority of the 496 who appeared earlier this week. The miners face charges including theft, trespassing and possession of gold-bearing equipment. Provincial police spokesperson, Donald Mdhluli: "It will depend, these two, on their health status whether they will appear with the 28 if they are better then they will appear, if not then it will be their appearance in absentia." Operation Vala Umgodi is ongoing, as police and mine management continue to tighten security on the mine and monitor the extensive network of illegal mining routes.
eNCA
5 days ago
- eNCA
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
5 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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.
eNCA
6 days ago
- eNCA
‘I was in only in grade 8' -Former illegal speaks out as illegal mining deepens in Barberton
BARBERTON - Godfrey Sithole from the National Association of Artisanal Miners was just 13 years old and still in Grade 8 when he first got involved in illegal mining. He says it was desperation that pushed him underground, and a lack of opportunities and jobs in the area. However, this issue, he says, has gone on for years. Sithole believes illegal mining in Barberton has been allowed to thrive for years and partly blames mine management, who he claims are supporting this activity. He says the answer lies in formalising artisanal mining. According to Sithole, that way they can have control of who is part of the activity and to do away with illegal operations. Illegal mining continues to become one of the country's major challenges. It threatens not only the formal mining industry but also economic stability and national security. An estimated 30,000 illegal miners are operating across the country. This raises concerns around law enforcement capacity and effectiveness. Mining analyst Peter Major says the surge in illegal mining activities can be attributed to two things: mainly a rise in gold prices. "The world is producing more gold than it ever has in the history of man, and because of that, the high gold price is driving supply," he said. Another contributing factor is the high unemployment rate. Operations like Vala Umgodi, a coordinated, NATJOINTS police-led initiative was established in 2023 to combat illegal mining and associated crimes across South Africa According to the fourth crime statistics between 2024 to 2025 financial year, 5,282 suspects, with the majority being illegal miners, were arrested through VALA Umgodi. These include 1,242 Zimbabweans, 1,141 Mozambicans, 1,097 South Africans and 658 Basotho nationals. Additionally, the statistics reveal that R2 million in cash and 90 illegal firearms were seized, while 43 trucks that were used in illegal mining operations were also confiscated. While there has been success, Major has little hope in the operation. He argues that instead of eradicating the problem, it drives activities elsewhere. Meanwhile Pan African Resources spokesperson Hethen Hira has noted claims of security guards working with syndicates to support this illegal activity. He says they will investigate that matter.
