Police nab 115 illegal miners

(Image: GCIS)

Speaking to journalists before meeting with residents in the area, Shabangu said since she first led police raids in the area in July, the action has also caused crime to decrease notably in communities where the illegal activities are carried out.

Shabangu said most of those that were arrested were foreign nationals, and that 15 of them had already appeared in court.

"Progress has been made since we were here the last time. I can say that while there are still challenges, we have seen many people being arrested," Shabangu said.

She attributed the arrests to cooperation from residents, who, through the community policing forums, helped law-enforcement agencies to identify those who illegally mined gold from mine dumps that had been abandoned by mining companies in the area after they were shut down.

When Shabangu first came into the area just over two months ago, she said she would lobby local government officials to get the land where mine dumps to be used for other projects like the construction of low-cost housing and parks. She also instructed law-enforcement agencies to prioritise clamping down on illegal activities on mine dumps.

At the time, Shabangu said illegal mining was a threat to the economy, with a 2010 study finding that R6bn was being lost to illegal mining annually, and that it could be more today.

She said mining companies had presented a plan of how they intend to process mine dumps to ensure that illegal mining on those sites will be impossible in the future.