The suspects were nabbed in Carletonville and Khutsong township during an operation that began in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the raids on the residences of alleged illegal mining kingpins were being conducted in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs and other stakeholders.

“The multi-disciplinary team is also seizing their luxury vehicles and investigations are still ongoing,” Mogale said in a brief statement.

The scourge of illegal mining made national headlines in late July, after eight women were gang-raped at gunpoint and their film crew robbed while they were shooting a music video at a mine dump in West Village, Krugersdorp.

This led to an uprising by some communities in the West Rand, who raided homes believed to belong to suspected zama-zamas (illegal miners), whom they accused of committing violent crimes in the area. 

Fourteen alleged illegal miners have since been arrested in connection with the Krugersdorp gang rape case.

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The case against the suspects was postponed until 28 November 2022, for DNA testing and further investigations after the suspects appeared in court last week.

The accused face multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, robbery with aggravating circumstances and contravention of the Immigration Act.

The Citizen