A North West resident where police found a mine shaft in her house at Nkandla informal settlement leading to Sibanye Stillwater’s Khuseleka mine insists she could not have reported the illegal mining because the zama zamas had threatened her with death.
The identity of the woman has been withheld to protect her, but the woman said she knew that illegal mining activities were flourishing from her home, which was used as the access and exit point.
In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, the woman says her hands were tied.
“I knew what was happening in the house because two men had approached me. One of the two men was a foreign national and the other spoke a language I did not understand. They told me that they had been underground, under my house for a long time.
“They told me that I had to allow them to enter their shaft through my house. They said it’s a do or die situation. Those are the words they used. They said they needed to make money.”
The woman said she could not have spoken about it, but her life turned into a nightmare from the time the zama zamas first set foot in her house.
“We have lived with these people in the house and they even gave us rules. I was also given rules in this house. My children were not allowed to use their bathroom. They (the children) had to live in their room and they were also given rules,” said the woman.
She said the zama zamas would drive in and out of her yard and she was told she was not allowed to look at who they were when entering on leaving her house.
IOL reported over the weekend that a North West man and his accomplice are facing charges of illegal mining after he allegedly allowed illegal miners to access a local mine through a hole in the floor inside his home.
The 65-year-old man and his accomplice face charges of illegal mining, tampering with and/or damaging of essential infrastructure and possession of suspected stolen goods.
Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani, said the man was nabbed on Thursday morning at the Nkandla informal settlement near Khuseleka 1 mine by Tlhabane Visible Policing, Royal Bafokeng Tactical Team and Rustenburg Public Safety.
"The team received a tip-off and made the arrests. The homeowner, who lives with his family at the house, is believed to have either used the hole in the room's floor, or allowed others to use it, as an entrance to the nearby mine shaft," Funani said.
Funani said when police arrived at the scene, a group of men entered the home and disappeared down the man-made hole in the bedroom.
"With the assistance of the mine security team, some of the mine property and other equipment were found inside the house. A search for other suspects is continuing," she said.
Meanwhile, in an update, police said eight zama zamas, aged between 16 and 45, were arrested between Friday and Saturday. The eight zama zamas and the two other men are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
“The suspects decided to stay underground when they were trying to evade arrest. It is alleged they saw the police coming in a house in Tlhabane, which they used to to enter Khuseleka mine. They were arrested after they decided to finally come out.
“Out of the 10 arrested suspects, four are South Africans, and six are foreign nationals. The 10 suspects are expected to appear before court on Monday, September 9 2024, for first court appearance,” said Funani.
IOL