Nearly 1,000 undocumented workers have been arrested at a gold mine in northeastern South Africa during a major police operation targeting illegal mining activities.
Authorities confirmed the arrests at Sheba Gold Mine, located in Barberton, Mpumalanga province, close to the borders of Eswatini and Mozambique.
The arrests were part of a police operation known as Operation Vala Umgodi, which took nearly a week to complete.
The detained individuals were reportedly found working underground without legal documentation.
Police said they are expected to face charges related to immigration violations and potentially for participating in illegal mining.
There are concerns that some of those detained may be minors. Officials said investigations are ongoing and more arrests could follow.
Barberton Mines, the company that owns the Sheba Gold Mine, expressed support for the police operation and confirmed their stance against unauthorized mining activity.
Sheba Gold Mine, one of South Africa’s oldest gold mines, was established in the 1880s.
It played a major role in the early gold rush era and remains in operation today, although it faces challenges such as high operational costs and gold theft.
Illegal mining, often involving individuals known locally as “zama-zamas,” has become a growing issue in South Africa.
These miners, many from neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique, work in dangerous conditions using basic tools in both active and abandoned mines.
The country has around 6,000 abandoned mining sites, many of which have turned into hubs for illegal mining.
In 2024, a similar police operation took place at a mine in Stilfontein, where dozens of miners were later found dead after a prolonged standoff.
The recent arrests at Sheba Mine are the latest in ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining across South Africa.