Weekend police operations in Sabie have brought the total number of recently arrested suspected illegal miners to 22, according to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

Members of Operation Vala Umgodi arrested 13 of the suspects in Sabie on Sunday, October 4.

Suspects face court on multiple charges

The 13 suspects are expected to appear in the Sabie Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, October 6. They face charges relating to illegal mining, possession of gold-bearing material, possession of gold-bearing equipment, and contravention of the Immigration Act.

Meanwhile, nine suspects arrested on October 3, including two minors, appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court today (October 5). Their matter was postponed to October 19 for an interpreter and legal representation, and all were remanded in custody.

Shoot-outs force road closures in Mashoboto

The arrests in Mashoboto follow several closures of the busy R539 Schoemanskloof route over the past week amid ongoing exchanges of gunfire, allegedly between rival zama zama groups, which resulted in several deaths.

The latest incident occurred around 18:00 on September 30 and continued for about 40 minutes, with residents describing the gunfire as sounding like ‘a war zone’. A heavy police presence has since been deployed to the area as law enforcement operations continue to address ongoing illegal mining activity.