Defence Minister Modise sends warning to foreign nationals involved in illegal mining in SA
Defence Minister Thandi Modise said that the government would no longer tolerate foreign nationals who continued to attack South Africa’s economy through illegal mining.
She has revealed that since the government launched an inter-ministerial operation to tackle the scourge, over 2,700 immigrants linked to illegal mining have been arrested.
Modise was speaking at a media briefing led by the justice, crime prevention, and security cluster in Pretoria on Friday morning.
Communities such as Riverlea in Johannesburg and Welkom in the Free State have been terrorized by zama zamas for years, as gunshots have become common due to frequent shootouts between rival miners.
Officials have expressed that it is disappointing that a majority of the illegal miners are immigrants, with some of them having crossed the borders illegally.
But Modise has unapologetically sent a stern warning to foreign nationals who are involved in illegal mining activities.
“I don’t think it is our job as ministers to protect the images of other countries when ours is going to the tartas, because other people are disregarding and disrespecting our laws and our dignities within our own borders.”
Speaking at the same briefing, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that some of the illegal mining kingpins had also been found to be foreign nationals.
-EWN
In other news – Shauwn Mkhize (MaMkhize) ordered to pay R37 million bill
Popular 47-year-old South African reality TV star, actress, and businesswoman, Shauwn Mkhize aka MamKhize has been slapped with an R37 million tax bill. According to the report, MaMkhize has accumulated a massive amount of unpaid taxes.
Appearing before the stand on 16 October, MaMkhize was found guilty and ordered by the High Court of South Africa to pay R37, 915, 549.77. Read More
