South African police have arrested around 1,000 undocumented immigrants who were illegally mining gold in the Barberton area of Mpumalanga province, near the borders of Eswatini and Mozambique.
The arrests happened during a week-long operation that began on Monday. Police say more arrests could follow, as some illegal miners are still trapped underground.
“As they come out, they are being arrested,” said police spokesperson Donald Mdhluli.
The raid targeted clandestine mining operations near the Sheba Mine, owned by Barberton Mines. The company stated that earlier this year it had to lay off workers and was considering closure due to poor profits.
However, they later discovered that the mine was being illegally used underground, where a hidden network of miners continued operations, receiving food and supplies from outside.
“This illegal mining had to be stopped. It explains the strange losses we were seeing,” the company said. “We want the community to know that this will not be tolerated.”
Police confirmed that no deaths have been reported in the operation so far. The effort was carried out jointly by mine security and national police.
To force the illegal miners out, the area was surrounded to block supplies, a tactic used in previous operations.
The current crackdown follows a deadly incident in 2024 in Stilfontein, west of Johannesburg, where at least 90 illegal miners died before police shut the mines permanently.
This time, authorities acted more quickly and safely, aiming to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
Illegal gold mining is a major problem in South Africa, driven by high unemployment and weak border controls. Many of those arrested are believed to be undocumented immigrants from neighboring countries.
Police say the operation is ongoing and they are working to bring everyone to the surface safely while securing the mine.
This operation highlights the scale and seriousness of illegal mining in South Africa. Authorities say they are committed to ending the dangerous and unlawful activities that threaten both workers’ lives and the economy.
