MONDEOR SAPS arrested six men on charges of illegal mining on July 10 after they had received information pertaining to this.
Investigations confirmed the six illegal miners (known as Zama Zamas) had dug a tunnel close by to the municipal dump on Swartkoppies/ Main Road, near Kibler Park.
According to Capt Nokulunga Dube, the police located a hole which went into a tunnel where they found the six men with headlamps, pickaxes, and shovels.
“We found bags filled with earth but couldn’t find where the tunnel went to,” Dube added.
Security officers who were on the scene at the time of the arrests, said the Zama Zamas were being dropped off by Quantum vehicles during the night.
Zama Zamas, apart from operating illegally, are often violent towards opposing factions and are known to murder competing miners and are a major contributor to serious crime in the areas they operate in, such as the East Rand and parts of Johannesburg. Authorities are keeping a close watch on this site and there are plans to close up the hole.
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