Cape Town – Twenty-six illegal miners have been granted bail, while more than 400 remain in custody following a major mining crackdown in Barberton.
The mass arrests were carried out by the South African Police Service’s Organised Crime Unit in collaboration with Sheba Mine, under the banner of Operation Vala Umgodi — a national campaign targeting illegal mining, immigration violations, and the distribution of counterfeit goods.
#sapsFS A multi-disciplinary team, operating under the banner of Operation Vala Umgodi, has achieved significant successes in a series of disruptive actions targeting #IllegalMining, contravention of the Immigration Act, and the dealing of counterfeit goods. The operations, which… pic.twitter.com/DUBjHswTEF
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 1, 2025
“During the proceedings, the court granted bail of R2 000 each to 26 of the accused.
“This decision was based on several factors, including the fact that they have no previous convictions, possess fixed addresses, and have no pending cases.
“These accused were strongly warned against committing any further offences while on bail,” The Citizen quoted the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa as saying.
#sapsMP [UPDATE] Today, Monday 04/08, law enforcement agencies, arrested 24 suspects at the mine in Barberton where other illegal miners were arrested on Friday, adding the number to 518 in total. A firearm, with ammo, was also recovered from one of the arrested suspects.… https://t.co/3fOwv2jl5T pic.twitter.com/R54IYgKzF1
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 4, 2025
The seriousness of the charges against the accused was highlighted by the National Prosecuting Authority.
According to Timeslive, Nyuswa said, “they face charges, including trespassing, theft of gold-bearing material and contravention of the Immigration Act”.
The accused were kept in custody, with the case postponed to August 11 and 12 to allow for address verification and potential additional bail applications.
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Compiled by Anda Tolibadi
