Law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts to curb illegal mining activities, resulting in multiple arrests across mining hotspot areas, including Kleinzee, Riverlea, and Stilfontein.
On Friday, 27 December 2024, Operation Vala Umgodi, a multi-disciplinary task force, raided the Nattubooi informal settlement in Kleinzee. Acting on intelligence reports, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) arrested 15 undocumented persons, including 10 men and 5 women aged 40 to 49. During the operation, police confiscated two jackhammers from one of the female suspects and apprehended a 20-year-old South African male found in possession of suspected unpolished diamonds.
The same day, a shootout erupted in Riverlea, Langlaagte, after the police’s National Intervention Unit (NIU) received information about ongoing illegal mining activities. Six suspects were arrested following the incident, during which unlicensed firearms and mining tools were seized. Among the recovered items were a rifle, a pistol, magazines loaded with ammunition, and other tools used for mining. All suspects are facing charges of possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, attempted murder, and immigration violations.
These actions are part of a broader campaign that has seen 47 illegal miners arrested since Monday, 23 December 2024, for offenses including illegal mining, trespassing, and contravening the Immigration Act (Act 13 of 2002). Authorities also reported that 21 illegal miners resurfaced at two shafts—Margaret Shaft and Buffelsfontein Shaft No. 10—on Friday and Saturday.
The suspects are currently being processed and will appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 30 December 2024. Police have reiterated their commitment to dismantling illegal mining networks and maintaining public safety in affected communities.