More than 20 arrested in Mpumalanga illegal mining crackdown

A major police operation against illicit mining in Mpumalanga has resulted in the arrest of over 20 suspects, according to the South African Police Service (Saps). The crackdown, conducted in Pilgrim's Rest between July 29 and August 10, 2026, saw 24 individuals taken into custody. According to police spokesperson Captain Mpho Nonyane-Mpe, 12 of the suspects were charged with illegal mining offenses, while one individual faced assault and resisting arrest charges.

Eleven suspects, believed to be undocumented immigrants, are additionally accused of illicit mining and possession of suspected gold-bearing material and equipment. During the raid, police seized various items from the site, including 27 pendukas, 147 steel balls, two water pumps, two cutting torches, two hammers, 10 head torches, and one gas bottle.

Nonyane-Mpe emphasized that these operations are part of the Saps' ongoing efforts to disrupt illicit mining activities and combat criminal syndicates exploiting the province's mineral wealth. Meanwhile, in a separate incident at Nkaneng, near Rustenburg, fourteen suspected illegal miners died when the walls of an excavated dumping site collapsed.

Eight miners were rescued and taken to the hospital, with three eventually discharged and detained for immigration law violations. The remaining five are still under police guard. Authorities are conducting rescue efforts and are concerned that more victims may remain trapped. North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Adams warned that the incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers illegal miners face, urging caution when entering abandoned or active mining areas.