A joint operation by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the police has uncovered multiple active illegal mining shafts in Wheatlands, as authorities intensify a co-ordinated crackdown on zama zamas in the West Rand under Operation Prosper.

The operation forms part of a broader national effort to combat illegal mining and organised crime, with soldiers deployed alongside police in identified hotspot areas across Gauteng and other regions.

Also read: Police and military team up in West Rand crime crackdown

At the launch of Operation Prosper in Mohlakeng, Gauteng CPF chairperson Thokozani Masilela called for strengthened law enforcement support for communities affected by zama zamas. SANDF Brigadier General Nditsheni Singo said the joint operations would yield results in Randfontein, adding that authorities were committed to securing the region against criminal activity.

During last week’s Wheatlands operation, SANDF members and police entered open fields where they discovered several exposed shafts believed to be used by illegal miners. Authorities also confiscated a generator and various electrical equipment suspected of being used to power underground mining activities.

Such equipment is routinely seized during raids as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illegal mining networks and dismantle their operations.

Operation Prosper, launched in Mohlakeng, brings together the SANDF, police and other agencies to stabilise affected communities, protect infrastructure and curb illegal mining. It targets both illegal miners on the ground and broader criminal networks linked to these activities.

The Wheatlands intervention is one of several ongoing operations in the West Rand, where abandoned mines continue to serve as hotspots for illegal mining activity. Authorities have indicated that further raids and enforcement actions are expected as the crackdown continues.