Tag: illegal mining
Police making headway in fight against illicit mining – Masemola
In the past couple of days, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has led a recovery operation in Sabie, Mpumalanga, to rescue illegal miners...
The violent underworld of Stilfontein’s zama zamas
Late on the night of 24 November, 14 zama zamas surfaced from deep underground at a disused mine in Stilfontein, where a major operation...
Stilfontein zama zamas likely have Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to resist...
A hellish picture worthy of a Tolkien fantasy novel is emerging of the Stilfontein zama zama crisis – including improvised explosive booby-traps illegal miners...
Stilfontein’s dangerous and desperate illegal mining industry
When zama zamas go hungry deep underground in the abandoned mines where they illegally mine for gold, they sometimes resort to eating a mixture...
Defence Minister to visit Stilfontein as significant number of illegal miners...
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, together with Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, will this morning (Friday 15 November) visit the North West Province...
Vala Umgodi teams force over 1000 miners to resurface
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced, through Operation Vala Umgodi, that since 18 October 2024, 1 004 illegal miners have resurfaced and...
Successful Op Vala Umgodi deployment ends in North West province after...
South Africa’s North West was the proverbial “happy hunting ground” for soldiers deployed as part of the SA Army Light Modern Brigade (LMB) supporting...
Operation Vala Umgodi continues to record successes against illegal miners
The South African Police Service (SAPS), supported by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Department of Home Affairs, continue to record...
Normal policing – including Vala Umgodi – continues during election period
Those operating outside the law in South Africa should not be emboldened by the police and security focus this week on national and provincial...
SANDF’s anti-illegal mining and national key point protection deployments extended
SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Commander-in-Chief President Cyril Ramaphosa has deemed it fit to extend the deployment of just over three thousand military personnel...
Anti-illegal mining ops net over four thousand suspects
The four-month period from December to March saw police assisted by, among others, soldiers from the SA Army Light Modern Brigade (LMB), arrest 4...
SANDF helps nab more illegal miners
South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers working together with their colleagues from the South African Police Service (SAPS) have apprehended over a dozen...
Operation Vala Umgodi nets 18 chrome-laden trucks in Limpopo
With the end of April – and end of the SA Army Light Modern Brigade (LMB) deployment – approaching, the SA Police Service (SAPS)-headed...
SANDF and SAPS reach out to less privileged schoolchildren during anti-illegal...
Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) found time during joint operations to combat illegal mining...
R8 million plus setback for illegal miners
A two-month haul worth in excess of R8 million in mining and allied equipment, diamonds, ore, explosives and weapons is the tally for the...
Zama zama equipment worth millions confiscated by SANDF soldiers
SA Army personnel currently serving with the Light Modern Brigade (LMB) as part of a national initiative to curb illegal mining activity are proving...
Limpopo zama zamas targeted by police and soldiers
Limpopo provincial capital Polokwane and surrounds yielded mining equipment, illicit cigarettes and drugs as well as arrests for offences including assault, extortion and kidnapping...
Military involvement in reining in illegal mining successful – Modise
The deployment of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) elements, particularly soldiers, in the national effort to curb illegal mining has resulted in what Defence...
SANDF tight-lipped on illegal mining deployment
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is keeping its cards close to its chest as far as what and where its personnel are...
Equipment worth R120 million plus seized from illegal miners in Limpopo
The SA National Defence Force (SANDF), in the form of SA Army Light Modern Brigade (LMB) elements, is one of at least six contributors...
SAPS continues crackdown on illegal mining operations
More than 90 people suspected of illegal mining have been arrested in various parts of Gauteng.
In a statement on Friday, the South African Police...
Ten-day Light Modern Brigade blitz nets 360 illegal miners and equipment...
The Presidential deployment of soldiers to assist police in curbing South Africa’s seemingly ever-burgeoning illegal mining sector is paying dividends with SA National Defence...
More soldiers in place to tackle illegal mining
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa used last week’s Free State presidential imbizo to make public the deployment of a further 395 soldiers in the...
SANDF soldiers making a mark in anti-zama zama ops
Soldiers are – again – working alongside police to curb crime with the emphasis this time on illegal mining.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Commander-in-Chief of the...
Hawks arrest 170 plus in connection with illegal mining
The second quarter of the current financial year and ahead of soldiers being roped in, saw the Hawks (DPCI – Directorate for Priority Crime...
Fight against illegal mining yielding results – Ramaphosa
In his weekly newsletter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa says the fight against illegal mining is seeing results.
Last week, the Ministers in government’s...
More soldiers deployed to fight illegal mining
President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the employment of 3 300 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), in co-operation with the South...
BMA will be part of stopping illegal mining
South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA), dubbed the country’s third armed service by President Cyril Ramaphosa, will be part of countering illegal mining in...
Gauteng calls for deployment of SANDF against illegal miners
The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety says it will be writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to...
Police recover stolen military explosives, equipment
The South African Police Service (SAPS) Head Office Organised Crime Investigations Unit, has recovered military explosive devices and equipment in Benoni, Gauteng.
SAPS spokesperson Athlenda...
Parliamentary committees assessing illegal mining in two provinces
Three parliamentary committees are in Gauteng and Mpumalanga to assess illegal mining.
The portfolio committees on mineral resources and energy, along with the Portfolio Committee...
Government says it is committed to eliminating illegal mining
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has warned that if not abated, illegal mining “will reach crisis proportions” and poses a “threat to...
Police operations net 53 suspected illegal miners
Police in Gauteng have arrested 53 suspects for illegal mining while also seizing equipment during an operation in Kagiso.
The weekend arrests were made by...
Artisanal gold mining in South Africa is out of control
Illegal and unregulated artisanal gold mining on the Witwatersrand Basin in Gauteng is an increasing threat to community, industrial and state security. Reports on...
ISS: SA must dig deeper for a solution to illegal mining
For organised crime groups, illegal mining is a lucrative enterprise. In South Africa it’s often linked to human smuggling and trafficking, illegal weapons and...
ISS: Solving South Africa’s violent and costly Zama Zama problem
Around 30 000 illegal miners work in and around thousands of disused and active mines across South Africa. These illegal miners – known as...
Bodies of illegal miners recovered from abandoned gold mine
Police recovered 25 bodies, believed to be illegal miners, from a disused Harmony Gold mine shaft, near where 76 illegal miners died...
Zimbabwean police find 3 dead illegal diamond miners
Zimbabwean police have recovered the bodies of three illegal diamond miners and are searching for up to seven more missing people, a...
Global Witness wants action on UN Congo minerals report
UN member states should take strong action in response to new information about companies and individuals who trade in minerals from areas of the...
