Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his recent newsletter to the nation, expressed his satisfaction with the progress made in the ongoing battle against illegal mining in South Africa. The Ministers in the government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster have reported significant achievements in curbing this criminal activity and arresting those responsible.
South Africa must manage its transition away from coal-fired power generation systematically and not rush a switch to renewable energy sources, Mining and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday.
President Ramaphosa stated that efforts to end illegal mining must target not only the miners but also those who benefit higher up in the value chain. He echoed Minister Gwede Mantashe’s sentiments from last year, emphasizing that illegal miners are just foot soldiers for criminal syndicates and should be dealt with as economic saboteurs.
The President emphasized that disruptive operations conducted against these syndicates have resulted in the seizure of assets and freezing orders by the Hawks and the Asset Forfeiture Unit against the assets of suspects.
However, President Ramaphosa stressed that the fight against illegal mining requires the participation of all stakeholders. He highlighted the role of mining houses that do not comply with laws regarding mine closure and rehabilitation, which has contributed to the proliferation of illegal mining activities.
South Africa currently has approximately 6,100 derelict, unused, or abandoned mines. Some mines are old and traceability of owners is difficult, while others have been neglected by miners failing to satisfy their obligations for closure or rehabilitation. The President commended the Minerals Council of South Africa for supporting collaboration between Government and the mining sector to address this issue.
A pivotal aspect of this effort is the establishment of specialized Illegal Mining Task Teams by the South African Police Service (SAPS) last year. These task teams conduct operations against illegal mining and related activities in hotspots across the country. President Ramaphosa highlighted that these intelligence-driven operations, supported by the Hawks, have led to over 4,000 arrests for various illegal mining-related offenses.
Between April and August this year alone, there have been arrests of over 7,000 individuals involved in illegal mining for contravening immigration regulations.
To further strengthen the operations against illegal mining, President Ramaphosa recently authorized the deployment of 3,300 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel to assist the SAPS for a period of six months. The SANDF deployment supports a multi-sectoral effort that includes the SAPS, State Security Agency, the newly formed Border Management Authority, and various other government departments.
The President emphasized that illegal mining is linked to other crimes, such as money laundering, bribery, corruption, illicit financial flows, human and weapons trafficking, and other forms of organized crime. Recent incidents have highlighted the devastating effects of illegal mining on community safety, including gang rapes allegedly committed by illegal miners, underground gas explosions resulting in fatalities, and gas explosions in informal settlements linked to illegal mining.
President Ramaphosa also acknowledged the efforts made against other economic sabotage crimes, such as cable theft and extortion at construction sites. The SAPS, through specialized task teams, has made 61 arrests related to extortion at economic and construction sites since April. Over the last four years, 27 people have been convicted and sentenced for such crimes.
The President expressed his commitment to work together with businesses, unions, and communities to ensure the continuous fight against acts of sabotage that undermine the country’s development.
He commended law enforcement agencies and security services for their successes and acknowledged that without the cooperation of communities, whistle-blowers, and industry, their intelligence-driven operations would not have been possible.
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