15k illegal miners nabbed since advent of Operation Vala Umgodi

STILFONTEIN - Fifteen thousand zama zamas have been arrested since police embarked on Operation Vala Umgodi targeting illegal mining in the country last year.

Police commissioner Fannie Masemola says officers will not back down from the task - in seven provinces.

He made the remarks during a visit to an abandoned mine shaft in Sabie, Mpumalanga, where over 100 illegal miners are believed to be trapped underground.

On Thursday, Masemola will lead a delegation to the old Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein where hundreds of zama zamas remain underground.

It's been three weeks since Police Minister Senzo Mchunu first visited the abandoned Buffelsfontein mine here in Stilfontein where he appointed a task team to help bring the illegal miners back up to the surface.

He returned to the area last week after receiving a report from mining experts on their take on how the rescue mission should be implemented.

Despite some potential red flags about safety, Mchunu announced law enforcement would go ahead as planned.

But even then - phase 3 of the extraction plan has still not been operationalised.

Although he wasn't with Mchunu in his previous visits to Stilfontein, Masemola may have some tough questions to answer about why a plan that cost a million rand is still up in the air.

Earlier, Masemola also visited Sabie in Mpumalanga where an operation is under way to rescue 100 illegal miners from an abandoned mine there.