Illegal miners, who were rescued from abandoned mines in Stilfontein, North West, have appeared in court and received fully suspended sentences.
The second group of illegal miners, commonly referred to as “zama zamas,” appeared before the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on December 31, where they were sentenced for illegal mining and violations of the Immigration Act.
According to Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, the spokesperson for the North West provincial police, the accused included 10 nationals from Lesotho, four from Mozambique, and five undocumented Zimbabweans, aged between 20 and 43.
The court imposed a sentence of six months imprisonment or a fine of R12,000 for each individual convicted of illegal mining. However, these sentences were entirely suspended for five years, contingent on the offenders not being convicted of illegal mining during that time.
Additionally, the illegal miners received a sentence of three months imprisonment or a R6,000 fine for violating the Immigration Act, which was also suspended for five years, provided they do not breach immigration laws again.
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On January 7, 2025, the accused were deported to their countries of origin by the Department of Home Affairs. They had been arrested at Margaret Shaft in November 2024.
Mokgwabone further reported that on the morning of January 7, 2025, five more illegal miners were arrested at Margaret Shaft, bringing the total number of illegal miners arrested between August 18, 2024, and January 7, 2025, to 1,567.
Major General Patrick Asaneng, the acting provincial commissioner of police in North West, expressed support for the convictions and the deportations. He emphasized that the ongoing “Vala Umgodi” operation would continue to hold criminals accountable under the law.
Reports from December indicated that over 1,500 illegal miners had been apprehended at the Stilfontein mines, with most deported to their home countries.