Community members in Barberton claim illegal mining will thrive due to bribery

BARBETON - Community members near the Sheba Gold Mine believe the crackdown on illegal mining will fail as long as security guards continue to open the gates for a fee. 

More than 500 zama zamas have been arrested at the mine since last week under police Operation Vala Umgodi. 

Locals claim that while police seal off shafts above the ground, a shadow trade is quietly opening them back up at night. 

A former illegal miner told EWN how he and others were let in under the cover of darkness, ushered through back routes by security personnel who knew the tunnels well. 

He said for a small cash payment, guards would show them the safest shafts to descend, map out underground pathways, and point out hidden trails used to get food and water to those working deep below. 

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It's a place where some miners spend weeks without emerging, surviving on supplies that slip past checkpoints in the dead of night. 

"I will come here several times because I will do the connection with the security guys here. You can't stop us from illegally mining here," he revealed.

Community members said this alleged collusion is why illegal mining has thrived for years, and why it won’t end with arrests alone. 

Responding during a briefing outside the mine, Sheba Mines said the claims are being taken seriously and investigations are underway. 

"Investigations are ongoing. There's been a major bust. It's been for a week. It's going to carry on for the next few months, at least, until we uncover the leads that we are developing at the moment," said spokesperson Hethen Hira.