No fewer than 1,000 undocumented migrants working in gold mines in the northeast of South Africa have been arrested by the Country Police Force.
A police spokesman for the Mpumalanga province, who disclosed this said that more arrests could be expected because there were still illegal miners underground.
“As they are coming out, they have been taken,” said the spokesman, Donald Mdhluli, on Friday.
The police operation, which started on Monday, targeted clandestine mining near the village of Barberton, close to the borders of Eswatini and Mozambique.
The Sheba Mine is owned by Barberton Mines, which said in a statement, “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!
“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,” it added.
