SAPS leads major crackdown on illegal mining, arresting 1,000 immigrants in Barberton

The South African Police Service (SAPS) achieved a significant milestone in its efforts against illegal mining with the arrest of approximately 1,000 illegal immigrants at a mine in the Barberton area of Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, on Friday.

The operation, part of the ongoing initiative known as Operation Vala Umgodi, represents a coordinated effort by law enforcement agencies to combat illegal mining and associated crimes in the country.

Operation Vala Umgodi, in collaboration with the mine’s security, was involved in the week-long operation.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, in a statement on Friday, said the K9 Unit, Task Force, Vukalanga Security, and members from the Combat and Proactive team started the operation on Monday.

Mdhluli said the illegal miners resurfaced due to the pressure from law enforcement agencies, who managed to halt the supply of resources.

“It has been discovered through the operation that most of the miners, if not all, are foreign nationals without valid documentation to be in the country. It was also discovered that some of these miners could be underage,” he said.

As a result, Mdhluli said police are working in conjunction with officials from the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Minerals and Energy, the National Prosecution Authority, as well as other law enforcement agencies.

He said the suspects could possibly be charged for contravention of the Immigration Act of South Africa, as well as other charges in relation to illegal mining and trespassing.

“More charges may be added as the operation and investigation continue,” he said, adding that the nationalities of the arrested suspects remain to be established through collaboration with Home Affairs officials.

Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, said Barberton has been presenting challenges in terms of crime.

He said police had previously made a commitment to heighten visibility in the area, with continuous operations being carried out.

“We are not reluctant when a person is found on the wrong side of the law; we arrest, end of the story. We are also grateful for the collaboration with the mine, which made it easy and possible to execute the operation successfully,” said Mkhwanazi.

Police said the number of suspects is expected to increase as more illegal miners resurface, and those who were apprehended will soon appear in court.

In a separate incident in Polokwane on Thursday, provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Masekela Magoro said the Sekhukhune Vala Umgodi Task Team launched a focused, high-impact operation in response to ongoing reports of illegal red chrome mining in Tweefontein.

“During the operation, the police confronted active illegal miners. While some suspects managed to slip away into the bushes, a 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with illegal mining,” he said.

In the Northern Cape on Wednesday, 18 suspects were arrested for alleged illegal gemstone mining in a swift operation by Prieska law enforcement, said police spokesperson Colonel Cherelle Ehlers.

Acting on intelligence, the team descended on a mountainous area 7.5 km outside Prieska, where suspects were reportedly engaged in illicit mining, said Ehlers.

The male suspects, aged between 21 and 60, were apprehended at the scene on charges of contravening the Illicit Mining Act, Act 28 of 2002.

“Mining implements suspected to have been used in the commission of the crime, as well as bags containing what is believed to be gemstones, were confiscated,” she said.

Pixley ka Seme district commissioner, Major General Nomana Mtukushe, lauded the collaborative efforts of units and the community’s crucial information in apprehending the perpetrators.

Mogoro urged the public to report illegal mining and suspicious activity immediately. 

“Together, we will stand strong and keep our communities safe…The police will stop at nothing until illegal mining is eradicated,” he said.

karen.singh@inl.co.za