Since Saturday (2/11), Operation Vala Umgodi has led to the arrest of more than 600 illegal miners in the Platinum Province alone. Police have vowed to continue the camp down.

The latest arrests were at the Margaret Shaft in Stilfontein, where some twelve dozen miners resurfaced this morning, said provincial police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone. Many were foreign nationals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

Authorities cut off food and water supplies to the illegal miners, effectively forcing them to emerge from the abandoned mine shafts. The surrounding communities have also been restricted from providing any aid to these miners.

Over the weekend, 225 illegal miners were arrested at Orkney on Saturday, followed by more than 300 arrests on Sunday in the same area.

Operation Vala Umgodi is focused on disrupting supply chains to illegal mining sites, said national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe. Targeting hotspots in seven provinces, law enforcement officials have so far arrested more than 13,000 miners and seized uncut diamonds worth R32 million, as well as R5 million in cash.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh