South Africa includes 1000 foreign illegal miners – DW – 02/08/2025

Nearly 1,000 undocumented immigrants work illegally in a golden mine in the northeast South Africa Police said on Friday, she was arrested.

The SABC General Prosecutor said that the police launched an operation entitled “The Walla Omjudi Operation” in the Sheba Gold mine in Parbron, Mbumallanga Province.

SABC was martyred with a police spokesman as saying that their arrest was working underground in the mine, near borders Core and Mozambique.

Their spokesman said they will be accused of violating immigration laws and perhaps for illegal mining.

A police statement published on Facebook said that some of them probably “below the legal age.”

Agence France -Presse news agency reported that the operation that was raised on miners lasted for nearly a week, citing an unveiled police spokesman. Police said more arrests could be followed.

“The illegal mining will not be tolerated.”

A similar operation was performed to assemble illegal miners in 2024 when the police in the abandoned gold mine surrounded StilNENEIN, west of Johannesburg. Supply To force illegal miners to surrender.

The confrontation continued for months, and in January, the police raided the mine, which led to Dozens of miners died.

What is the gold mine?

Shaba was established in the eighties of the nineteenth century and is one of the oldest and richest gold mines in South Africa.

It played a major role in the early golden rush in the country, attracting prospectors and forming the legacy of mining in the region.

Today, the mine is still working, but it faces high costs and a huge issue with the theft of gold, which prompted the owner to restructure the operations to survive.

The problem of illegal mining for South Africa

South Africa has about 6000 AbandonedMany of them have become hot points for illegal activity.

South African illegal miners are known as Zama-Zamas, who work in deserted or operational mines using basic tools and methods.

Many neighboring countries come; The rest consists of the unemployed South Africa who have turned into illegal mining after the official mining sector has declined.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez