According to the Hawks’ provincial spokesperson, Tlangelani Rikhotso, the police arrested the suspects during a joint operation. She says the suspects were arrested with at least 15 firearms recovered during the arrest. Rikhotso adds that the operation is ongoing and it's not clear if more suspects could be arrested.

“In a continuous fight against illegal mining in the North West province, the North West Hawks - assisted by members of the tactical management section, special task force, the national intervention unit, district illegal mining task team and Harmony Gold Mine - embarked on an early morning raid at a mine shaft in Stilfontein, where approximately 20 suspects have been apprehended. High-calibre firearms, explosives and boxes full of ammunition and an undisclosed amount of money have been seized. The operation is still ongoing, Rikhotso further adds.

In August 2022, the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, Godfrey Lebeya, gave updates on matters of serious crimes including the North West illegal mining activity criminal case in 2021.

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In October 2021, there was a shoot-out incident between the police and illegal miners in the area of Orkney in the Matlosana area, where over 80 miners were arrested by the police.

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A suspect deemed as the mastermind of this shootout was later added to the police’s charge sheet.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, the alleged kingpin, Thethile Master Boyce (60), was added to the charge sheet as the 88th suspect.

The 87 miners and their accomplices face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, conspiracy to commit robbery, illegal mining, illegal possession of automatic firearms, attempted murder, and contravening the Immigration Act.

Mamothame said the miners were all remanded in custody after their legal representative failed to pitch up in court, with no reason provided for his absence. The illegal miners were arrested by the Hawks at a mine shaft in 2021. Eight of them were wounded whilst six died following a shootout with the police. One police officer was also wounded. Boyce is out on R2000 bail, while the other 87 suspects remain in police custody.

“The Hawks’ investigations revealed that Boyce is a taxi owner who allegedly transported the suspected illegal miners to and from the mine, and transported food. His taxi was seized by the Hawks after his arrest.

"The eight injured have since been discharged from the hospital and are now in police custody. Following the shootout, police discovered two mini-buses, illegal mining paraphernalia, gold-bearing material, and eleven Illegal firearms (3 x shotguns, 3 x rifles, 4 x pistols, and 1 x revolver) and bags of food,” Mamothame adds.

The Stilfontein Regional Court has since postponed the case against the suspected illegal miners - arrested at Shaft 2 at Orkney - to 12 October 2021.

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This is a developing story.

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