Illegal mining is as bad as cash heists: Mantashe

Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says illegal mining is an attack on the economy of the country and those involved in it should be treated as criminals.

This is as over 1 000 suspected illegal miners were arrested in the past few weeks in Stilfontein near Klerksdorp in the North West. They have reportedly been operating in disused mine shafts for years.

Though Mantashe was in Orkney, a few kilometers from Stilfontein for the opening of a gold processing plant by China African Precious Metals, he says he could not go to Stilfontein, because it’s a crime scene.

The Matlosana Municipality, which comprises of Klerksdorp, Orkney and Stilfontein, is infested with illegal mining.

Mantashe says what is happening in Stilfontein is a crime and has to be treated as such.

“Illegal mining is as bad as cash heists. It is an attack on the economy of the country. It’s people who come in numbers to steal gold and somebody is behind them and we are discussing that it is that person that we must find. Those who go to the mines are foot soldiers, there is a person behind that. Now, one thing that shocked me as a person is when South Africans begin to say we are not happy with the way you treat illegal miners. I don’t know what we should do.”

North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng held an engagement with stakeholders in Stilfontein earlier today on the plan to resurface the illegal miners who seem to be opting to remain underground.

Morweng says that government is working to establish the exact situation underground including the health and needs of illegal miners.

Meanwhile in Orkney, stakeholders said the opening of the gold processing plant will create jobs.

“You saw the report that the survey for quarter three shows that the North West moved from 54 to 51. About 69 000 jobs have been created in the province,” North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi.

“We expected CAPM when they have opening today, they will continue to give our members or the community consistent jobs. Why are we saying this. The moment there is a gap, the moment they retrench people end up doing crime because there is no job,” says NUM’s Meshack Dire.

CAPM bought this processing plant in 2022.

It says it hopes to create over 4 000 jobs from this plant and other operation around Matlosana.