https://newsletter.en.creamermedia.com
Africa|Defence|Gold|Mining|Underground|Water
Africa|Defence|Gold|Mining|Underground|Water
africa|defence|gold|mining|underground|water

Police in standoff with hundreds of illegal miners in disused shaft

14th November 2024

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

South African police were in a standoff on Thursday with hundreds of illegal miners believed to be underground in a disused shaft, a day after a cabinet minister said the government was trying to "smoke them out".

Police have been trying for weeks to empty the abandoned gold mine in the North West province as part of a crackdown on illegal mining, which has plagued South Africa for decades through small-time pilfering and organised criminal networks.

More than 1 000 illegal miners resurfaced after police cut off their food and water supplies, but a police spokesperson said hundreds more could still be underground.

A decomposed body was brought up on Thursday, with pathologists on the scene, spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said.

On Wednesday, asked whether the government would send help to the zama-zamas - a local term for illegal miners from the Zulu expression for "taking a chance" - Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said: "We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out."

Senior police and defence officials are expected to visit the area on Friday to "reinforce the government's commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion", according to a media advisory from the police.

Illegal gold mining costs South Africa's government and industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lost sales, taxes and royalties, according to an estimate by a mining industry body.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

 
 

Showroom

SABAT
SABAT

From batteries for boats and jet skis, to batteries for cars and quad bikes, SABAT Batteries has positioned itself as the lifestyle battery of...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
SMS group
SMS group

At SMS group, we have made it our mission to create a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 13 December 2024
Magazine round up | 13 December 2024
13th December 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:3.063 3.161s - 194pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now