2 more illegal miners resurface from Sheba Gold Mine! Two more illegal miners have resurfaced from Sheba gold mine in Mpumalanga, bringing the total taken into custody since Friday to over 550.
Police said one of the men suffered a serious arm injury and both are being treated before they’re formally processed.
The latest resurfacing comes amid continued searches underground as officers monitor entrances and tunnels into the mine’s shafts.
Illegal miners resurface
Since Friday’s operation that netted 494 illegal miners, another 24 were detained on Monday, 28 on Tuesday, and now two more have come up from the mine’s tunnels that stretch for kilometres under the Barberton hills.
Police said one of the latest two men had an injured arm and is being treated before being taken into custody.
With unemployment pushing 50% in parts of Mpumalanga, many locals turn to illegal mining for survival.
The mine said it’s trying to tackle that by investing in job creation projects.
But the company warns that illegal mining is strangling these efforts, reducing revenue, jeopardising community programmes, and putting even more jobs at risk.
“It’s just not sustainable. The mine cannot continue. It will shut down. Everyone will lose their jobs. Illegal mining will run rife. But for how long? I mean, we’re looking at a 20, 30-year life of mine. You can mine this whole area out in a year,” said mine spokesperson Hethen Hira.
The company said the constant resurfacing shows the scale of the challenge and warns that if the problem persists, Sheba’s future and local livelihoods will be in jeopardy.
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