Police Crack Down on Illegal Mining
Mogwase/ Rustenburg – The fight against illegal mining in the Bojanala Platinum District gained significant ground as law enforcement intensified efforts through Vala Umgodi operations, a nationwide campaign aimed at rooting out illicit mining and associated criminal activity. On Thursday, 20 March 2025, the task team swooped in on an illegal mining site in Bapong, within the Mogwase policing precinct. There, they confiscated two large excavators and other abandoned mining equipment—evidence of the scale and organisation behind these unlawful operations. As the operation expanded, officers uncovered further illegal activity across several hotspots:
- In Geelhoutpark, Rustenburg: 10 foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Malawi were arrested on charges of contravening Section 49 (1)(a) of the Immigration Act, 2002.
- In Freedom Park near Phokeng: 12 undocumented individuals from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi were taken into custody between Thursday and Friday, 20–21 March.
- In Moruleng near Mogwase: nine more undocumented nationals were arrested between Friday and Saturday, 21–22 March.
- At the Witrandjie site: officers discovered and seized more illegal mining tools.
- In Schamburg near Hartbeespoortdam: the team discovered abandoned penduka machines and steel balls — commonly used in illicit mineral processing.
All arrested individuals have since appeared in their respective local courts on Monday, 24 March 2025.
Major general Patrick Asaneng, the acting provincial commissioner of North West, commended the coordinated efforts of law enforcement.
Main photo: Seized and silenced — a confiscated excavator at an illegal mining site in Bapong.
