Fight against illegal mining yielding results, says Ramaphosa
Last week, the justice, crime prevention and security cluster reported that over 4,000 arrests had been made for offences related to illegal mining.
CAPE TOWN - President Cyril Ramaphosa says the fight against illegal mining is yielding results.
Last week, the justice, crime prevention and security cluster reported that over 4,000 arrests had been made for offences related to illegal mining.
Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa said that government’s efforts to stop illegal mining could not solely focus on the miners but also those who benefited higher up in the value chain.
Between April and August, more than 7,000 suspects involved in illegal mining have also been found to be contravening immigration regulations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently authorised the deployment of over 3,000 SANDF soldiers to help the police over the next six months in its clampdown on illegal mining operations.
But he said that for the fight to be successful, everyone had to play their part.
Ramaphosa said that mining houses that have not complied with laws related to the closure and rehabilitation of mines have contributed to the proliferation of illegal mining.
There are over 6,000 derelict, unused or abandoned mines around the country.
Ramaphosa has welcomed efforts by the Minerals Council to support greater collaboration between government and the mining sector.
He said that government’s actions to stop illegal mining were part of a broader effort to tackle other crimes of economic sabotage, including cable theft, extortion and construction sites and damage to critical infrastructure.
