JOHANNESBURG – South African police have arrested approximately 1 000 undocumented migrants involved in illegal gold mining operations during a week-long operation in the country’s northeast, authorities announced on Friday.
The arrests took place near Barberton in Mpumalanga province, close to the borders with Eswatini and Mozambique, where police conducted a comprehensive sweep of clandestine mining operations at the Sheba Mine.
“About 1 000 illegal miners who are also illegal immigrants have been arrested,” said Donald Mdhluli, police spokesman for Mpumalanga province, describing the operation as a joint effort between mine security and police forces.
The operation, which started last Monday, employed tactics similar to those used in previous crackdowns, with authorities surrounding the illegal mining sites to prevent supplies from reaching those working underground, effectively forcing miners to surface where they were subsequently detained.
Mdhluli indicated that additional arrests may follow, as investigators believe more illegal miners remain underground. “As they are coming out, they have been taken,” he explained, adding that “there are no fatalities recorded so far.”
Mine owner cites community concerns
Barberton Mines, which owns the Sheba Mine, issued a statement connecting the illegal mining operations to recent employment difficulties at the facility.
“Earlier this year there was outcry from the community and employees when Barberton Mines retrenched workers as the mine was unprofitable and facing closure. Now we know the reason why!” the company stated.
“Food and supplies have been getting to a thriving illegal mining world underground, which had to be stopped, hence this intervention with the police and mine security. This message needs to be spread and illegal mining will not be tolerated.”
The mining company suggested that the illegal operations had contributed to the mine’s financial struggles, potentially affecting legitimate employment opportunities in the area.
Echoes of previous operations
The Barberton arrests occur less than a year after a similar, more tragic operation near Stilfontein, west of Johannesburg, where at least 90 clandestine miners lost their lives before authorities definitively closed the illegal mines in January.
The Stilfontein incident highlighted the dangerous conditions in which illegal miners often work and the risks associated with such operations, both for the individuals involved and the broader mining industry.
