Case against 24 Barberton illegal miners postponed
The group is among more than 550 zama zamas detained in the past week, including 494 arrested during a mass police sweep last Friday.
Some of the 500 Zama zamas during their first appearance in the Barberton Magistrates court, Mpumalanga, 6 August 2025. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
BARBETON -The case against 24 illegal miners who resurfaced from Sheba gold mine earlier this week has been postponed to next Wednesday for bail verification.
The group is among more than 550 zama zamas detained in the past week, including 494 arrested during a mass police sweep last Friday.
The miners made a brief appearance in the Barberton Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Monday's group of 24 is the third largest to resurface since last Friday’s Operation Vala Umgodi, which targets illegal mining in the Barberton area.
Another 30 were arrested the day after, many found hiding in the mine's tunnels.
The 24, now before court, face multiple charges, including theft, trespassing and possession of mining and gold bearing equipment.
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Twenty of them are foreign nationals without passports and also face immigration related charges.
The magistrate postponed the matter to allow police time to verify addresses and other bail information.
"Your case is reminded until the 13th of August for the appointment of your attorneys. Accused number 1 until 19 and 22 until 24 in custody, no bail."
The initial group of 494 miners appeared on Monday, only 26 of them, all South Africans with verified addresses, were granted bail.
The rest remain in custody, with more court appearances expected as police continue to bring miners to the surface.