Tag: Zama zamas
No high-level arrests under Vala Umgodi, but SAPS deepens international efforts...
Operation Vala Umgodi, launched as a national initiative to combat illegal mining in South Africa, focuses primarily on disrupting illicit activities at known hotspots...
Op Vala Umgodi nets 100 unpolished diamonds, 2 000 arrests
Nationwide Vala Umgodi operations conducted to halt the scourge of illega mining in April led to the arrest of 1 857 suspects of different...
Nearly 2 000 suspects arrested for illegal mining over last month
Nationwide Vala Umgodi operations has led to the arrest of more than 1 700 suspects of various nationalities in March, who were apprehended for...
Illicit miners nabbed in Mpumalanga
The continued involvement of SA Army soldiers in the ongoing SA Police Service (SAPS) led operation against illegal mining bore fruit in the Schoemanskloof...
Bodies and emaciated zama zamas recovered from Stilfontein mine
Rescue operations are in full swing at the disused mine in Stilfontein in the North West. Over 50 frail zama zamas as well as...
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...
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...
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...
Anti-illegal mining ops net equipment, ore, diamonds and weapons
Ten days in December saw South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers detached to an Operation Prosper illicit mining task force make a multi-million...
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...
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...
First Light Modern Brigade deployment will tackle zama zamas
Stirring words from the officer at the helm of the SA Army during a first light parade at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) set...
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...
Modise explains what’s being done to fight crime in South Africa
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise, as “point person” for last week’s JCPS (Justice, Crime Prevention and Security) Cabinet cluster meeting, gave an...
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...
No government clarity on soldiers deployed to curb illegal mining
Calls by among others Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, for soldiers to assist in combating violence ascribed to illegal miners, better known as zama zamas,...
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...
Zama zamas under the microscope of specialist police task team
Recent incidents of violence, reportedly including murder and rape, have again put the actions of illegal miners in the national spotlight, so much so...
