According to police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo says the remains were retrieved on Friday, 9 February, after a failed attempt by locals.
“The deceased, Letty Mahlokwane (53), was killed when a huge rock and rubble collapsed and buried her alive at ga-Maroga village outside Burgersfort. Mahlokwane was mining chrome illegally, together with a group of other people,” he explained.
Police were summoned to the scene, reacted swiftly and began with search and rescue operations.
Mojapelo says police are reiterating the warning for people to desist from engaging in illegal mining.
“Apart from the inevitable police action that is taken against perpetrators, these miners might find themselves in similar situation like the one that took place at ga-Maroga where a life has been lost,” he concluded.
Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years’ experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review’s digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." – Tom Stoppard
