Nine suspected zama zamas arrested amid Mpumalanga mining tensions
SAPS has intensified operations in Mashoboto outside Mbombela following reports of gunfire between rival groups of illegal miners
Mpumalanga, one of South Africa’s five largest mining provinces, is grappling with illegal mining activities, with tensions between rival groups of illegal miners escalating in recent days.
In an effort to curb the illegal activities, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested nine suspected illegal miners, commonly known as zama zamas, in the Mashoboto area outside Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
The arrests follow reports of exchanges of gunfire between rival groups of illegal miners operating in the area.
“A significant police deployment is currently underway in the area as law enforcement officers intensify operations to restore calm and ensure public safety,” said the SAPS.
Illegal mining continues to cripple the South African economy. In Johannesburg, illegal mining activities left the city R262m road-repair bill, of which the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) sees as a serve problem.
DMPR spokesperson Lerato Ntsoko described illegal mining as “rife and extremely serious,” saying it needed urgent attention because of the impact it has on legitimate mining operations and communities.
“Our assessment indeed reveals the adverse way in which this scourge is affecting legitimate mining operations by amongst others, creating unhealthy competition. This has also adversely affected the communities living in the vicinity of these illicit activities causing extreme socio-economic and environmental challenges,” Ntsoko said.
