150 illegal miners from Sabie to appear in court

Police arrest an illegal miner after being retrieved from an abandoned mine in Sabie, Mpumalanga on December 5, 2024.

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The 150 illegal miners brough to the surface from an abandoned mine in Sabie, Mpumalanga last week, are expected to appear in the local court.

The illegal miners were brought to the surface from the south shaft over a three-day operation.

Various police units, members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and private security personnel assisted in the operation.

Emergency service and Home Affairs officials were also on site to provide the miners with medial assistance and profiling before they were arrested.

Mpumalanga Police Spokesperson, Donald Mdluli says all the foreign nationals are undocumented.

Mdluli adds, “Ninety-five of them from Lesotho were found to have been in South Africa without valid documentation and 32 Mozambican nationals were also found to be in the country without valid documentation, as well as 16 Zimbabweans are found without documentation are charged with the contravention of Immigration Act of South Africa and eight Lesotho were also charged with kidnapping and also for illegal mining.”