Gauteng police say they lack capacity to confront illegal miners underground, targeting above ground ops
Police say they’ve been able to seize equipment and detain suspects on the surface, but lack the specialised gear to go below ground.
FILE: Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers arrested seven suspected illegal miners during a multidisciplinary operation in Primrose, Germiston, on 9 April 2024. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng police say they lack the capacity to confront illegal miners underground and can only target their operations above the surface for now.
Acting Provincial Commissioner Mbuso Khumalo said that while officers had made arrests on the West Rand as part of Operation Shanela, they did not have the equipment or training to pursue zama zamas in their tunnels.
The remains of abandoned gold mines stretch across the West Rand, providing cover for illegal miners who work in dangerous underground networks.
Police said they had been able to seize equipment and detain suspects on the surface, but lacked the specialised gear to go below ground.
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SAPS Roodepoort Station Commander Brigadier Sekwakwa said: "They used to operate on the surface, but now we realise that they're operating underground and we don't have the capability to operate underground."
She said that the focus remained on disrupting processing sites and supply chains, while calling for additional resources to tackle the roots of the trade.