By Mark Ogagan
South African police have arrested 225 illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas,” after they were forced to the surface from an abandoned mine in Orkney, a gold mining town in the North West Province.
The miners reportedly resurfaced after enduring severe hunger and dehydration, as police had blocked supply routes used by accomplices to deliver essential food and water to the mine.
The arrests come as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal mining operations in the country. Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, confirmed the arrests and said security forces continue to monitor the area.
Police believe hundreds more miners may still be trapped underground, with officials estimating that as many as a thousand illegal miners remain in the mine shafts in Orkney. The extensive operation in Orkney is part of a larger campaign against illegal mining.
According to Sibiya, more than 13,691 suspected illegal miners have been arrested across seven South African provinces since December 2023. During these operations, law enforcement agencies have seized approximately 5 million rand (around $283,000) in cash and uncut diamonds valued at about 32 million rand (around $1.8 million).
The presence of “zama zamas,” many of whom are believed to be migrants from neighboring countries, has been a persistent issue in South Africa’s mining sector. Their activities are seen by locals as a source of crime and a threat to the country’s established mining companies, as these miners often work under dangerous and exploitative conditions in abandoned mine shafts.
Discussion about this post