Police and soldiers force 565 illegal miners out of a shaft

More than 500 illegal miners were forced out of their underground operations at an abandoned mining shaft in Orkney, North West, when a special army and police unit cut off their food and water supplies. 

The Vala Umgodi teams were deployed in December last year to combat illegal mining in Orkney and surrounding mining locations.

In total, 565 illegal miners surrendered due to hunger and dehydration last week.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said: "These 565 illegal miners are part of others believed to be hundreds if not a thousand illegal miners who are stuck underground with no food, water and other necessities because the Vala Umgodi [operation].

"The teams led by the SAPS and SANDF [SA National Defence Force] are blocking routes used to deliver food and necessities to these illegal miners." 

She said last week, officers blocked communities in and around the abandoned mining shafts in Orkney from delivering food parcels, water and other necessities to the illegal miners digging underground.

"This act of stamping the authority of the state eventually forced these illegal miners to resurface. This operation is ongoing, and the SAPS and the SANDF are still monitoring these old abandoned mine shafts as more and more illegal miners resurface," Mathe added.

Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, deputy national police commissioner responsible for crime detection, said they would not back down until all the illegal miners resurfaced and arrested.

"Since its inception in December 2023 to date, more than 13,691 suspects have been arrested in the seven provinces that are hotspots for illegal mining. We have seized R5m in cash and uncut diamonds worth R32m through Operation Vala Umgodi," Sibiya said.

SowetanLIVE