Mantashe: Govt won't negotiate with criminals involved in illegal mining in Stilfontein

JOHANNESBURG - Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said that government would not be negotiating with criminals involved in illegal mining in Stilfontein.

Mantashe was in the North West town on Tuesday afternoon where a mass rescue and retrieval operation was underway.

Mantashe’s long-awaited visit comes as phase three of the rescue operation of illegal miners gains momentum. 

The final phase of a plan to shut down the illicit mining network kicked off on Monday, with a cage sent down to retrieve the first group of hundreds of zama zamas. 

Mantashe said there had been suggestions from some groups for licences to be given to the illegal miners.

"Our communities here say we must give licences to [the illegal miners]…If they say so, we’ll come here and hear them out and have a hearing that please give licences to steal gold to Mozambicans, Zimbabweans and Lesotho nationals. It’s a criminal activity. It’s an attack on our economy by foreign nationals in the main."

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