28 more illegal miners resurface from Sheba gold mine, confirm police
This is the second group to emerge since the mass arrest of nearly 500 zama zamas at the mine last Friday.
Picture: @SAPoliceService/X
BARBERTON - Mpumalanga police have confirmed the resurfacing of 28 illegal miners at the Sheba gold mine.
This is the second group to emerge since the mass arrest of nearly 500 zama zamas at the mine last Friday.
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Four-hundred-and-ninety-four illegal miners appeared in the Barberton Magistrate's Court on Monday, with the latest group expected to make their appearances in the coming days.
Police said their large-scale Operation Vala Umgodi, aimed at cracking down on illegal mining, may be over but arrests continue.
The latest group of 28 followed Monday’s 24, all of whom spent the weekend underground.
Provincial police said they ventured deeper into unsafe shafts to evade arrest, but were met by private security as soon as they surfaced and were handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
It remains unclear how many others may still be underground.