South African authorities have arrested approximately 1,000 illegal miners in a sweeping multi-day operation aimed at clamping down on unauthorized mining activities in the country’s Mpumalanga province. The arrests were made at a mining site in Barberton, a historic mining town located in the northeast near the Mozambican border.
In a statement released on Friday, the South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed the arrests and noted that the majority of those detained were foreign nationals without legal documentation to justify their stay in the country. However, the specific nationalities of the suspects have not yet been officially verified.
“This operation is part of our ongoing efforts to tackle the growing threat of illegal mining in South Africa,” the police said in the statement. “The individuals arrested are suspected of engaging in unauthorized extraction of mineral resources, with many of them lacking legal residency papers.”
The large-scale sweep underscores the South African government’s increased resolve to combat illegal mining, which has become a pressing national security, economic, and environmental concern. Barberton, long known for its rich gold reserves, has in recent years drawn attention as a hotspot for illegal mining syndicates, often involving undocumented foreign nationals operating under dangerous conditions.
The arrests in Barberton mark one of the latest efforts in a broader government strategy to dismantle illegal mining networks and reclaim control over abandoned or unregulated mine sites. In January 2025, a similar large-scale operation was conducted at a disused gold mine in Stilfontein, located in the North West province.
That operation resulted in the arrest of nearly 2,000 illegal miners. Among those detained were 1,128 individuals from Mozambique, 473 from Zimbabwe, and 197 from Lesotho, according to government reports.
However, the Stilfontein raid quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. At least 78 people died after police reportedly sealed off access to food and water in an effort to force miners hiding underground to resurface. Human rights organizations and advocacy groups accused South African authorities of using starvation as a method of coercion — a charge that sparked domestic and international outrage.
“This is a serious breach of humanitarian principles,” a spokesperson for the Southern Africa Human Rights Coalition said at the time. “Regardless of legal status, no one deserves to be denied food and water as a means of enforcing law.”
South African police defended their actions, insisting the siege was necessary to dismantle the criminal operations that had taken root in the decommissioned mine. The government argued that illegal mining not only contributes to environmental degradation and economic sabotage but also fuels organized crime, human trafficking, and violence in surrounding communities.
In August 2024, prior to the fatalities at Stilfontein, police had already resorted to cutting off food and water supplies from reaching individuals who had barricaded themselves inside the mine tunnels. The incident revealed the extreme lengths both authorities and illegal miners were willing to go in the ongoing battle over control of South Africa’s rich but often poorly regulated mineral resources.
Illegal mining, often referred to locally as “zama-zama” — a Zulu term meaning “those who try” — has become a persistent and complex issue. Many zama-zamas operate in abandoned mines using rudimentary tools and under life-threatening conditions, hoping to extract whatever remains of valuable minerals, especially gold.
South Africa, one of the world’s leading producers of gold, platinum, and other minerals, has seen increasing tensions between licensed mining operations and these informal, often criminalized activities. The economic desperation that drives many undocumented migrants into the illegal mining trade only adds to the complexity of enforcement efforts.
Analysts say the recent arrests in Barberton signal a continued hard-line approach by the government to reassert control over the sector. But they also warn that without a long-term, humane strategy to address the root causes — including poverty, unemployment, and porous borders — the crisis may continue to escalate.
“There’s no question that illegal mining poses a serious challenge to the rule of law and national stability,” said Dr. Nandi Mahlangu, a Johannesburg-based political economist. “But if we don’t also address the conditions that make this work appealing to thousands of people — many of whom are economic migrants — we’ll just keep repeating this cycle of raids, arrests, and tragic outcomes.”
Meanwhile, questions remain about the processing of the approximately 1,000 suspects arrested in Mpumalanga. With immigration and court systems already under strain, human rights observers have called for transparent legal procedures and access to consular services where applicable.
The Department of Home Affairs is expected to assist in the identification and potential deportation of undocumented individuals, while mining regulators assess the damage and level of unauthorized activity at the Barberton site.
In its statement, the police emphasized that operations will continue in other parts of the country, and urged mining companies, local communities, and law enforcement agencies to work together in eradicating illegal mining.
“The fight against illegal mining is not just a law enforcement issue; it is a national imperative,” the SAPS statement concluded. “We urge communities to report suspicious activities and work with the authorities to protect our natural resources and promote legal economic opportunities.”
As South Africa continues to grapple with the economic and security threats posed by illegal mining, the operation in Mpumalanga marks both a show of force and a warning: that the government is prepared to use tough measures to regain control. However, whether this approach can deliver sustainable results without addressing the humanitarian consequences remains a subject of fierce debate.
