South Africa has initiated the deportation of some of the illegal miners apprehended in recent months.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that over 80 undocumented miners, primarily from Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, have already been deported, state broadcaster SABC reports.
The arrests were made as part of a broader crackdown on illegal mining activities across the country.
North West Police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone told SABC on Thursday that approximately 1,450 illegal miners have been arrested since 18 August 2024, with most of them having been arrested between October and November 2024.
Court proceedings
“Less than 20 South Africans have been arrested as illegal miners,” Mokgwabone said.
Another 52 alleged illegal miners are due to appear in court next Tuesday.
The miners from Mozambique, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe appeared in court briefly on Wednesday on a charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
They are part of the 153 illegal miners retrieved from the 180-meter mine shaft. They appeared in groups due to the size of the court.
Some of the miners rescued by law enforcement agents told local media they are being forced to mine gold underground by heavily armed men often referred to as "zama zamas," which means "take a chance" in Zulu.
'Difficult work'
The gangs refuse to let the miners leave the mines even as health conditions underground deteriorated.
South Africa says it will continue working to tackle illegal mining in the country, which poses significant risks to the lives of miners and damages the environment.
In November last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of 3,300 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel to support SAPS in their fight against illegal mining.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
