Over 1000 out of 2000 Zama Zamas at Stilfontein Mine Are Mozambicans, SA Furious

• The South African Police Service revealed that a large number of the miners that emerged from the Stilfontein Mine were Mozambican
• Zimbabweans made up the second largest group of the zama zamas, followed by Lesotho nationals
• South Africans were livid after discovering that only 26 of them were South African Nationals

Tebogo Mokwena, a dedicated Briefly News current affairs journalist, contributed coverage of international and local social issues like health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests and immigration in South Africa during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

STILFONTEIN—The South African Police Service revealed that most of the zama zamas retrieved from the Stilfontein Mine since Operation Vala Umgodi began in the area in August were foreign nationals. Mozambicans and Zimbabweans made up most of the illegal workforce.

Zama zamas in numbers

According to TimesLIVE, SAPS's national spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the police retrieved 246 people from the Stilfontein mine shaft on 13 January 2025. They also retrieved 78 bodies. She revealed that 1905 zama zamas resurfaced between August 2024 and 15 January. The Margaret shaft yielded 1437 illegal miners.

Read also

SA slams Cyril Ramaphosa for attending Mozambique President Daniel Chapo's inauguration

Of those who emerged from the Stilfontein shafts, 1125 were from Mozambique, 465 were from Zimbabwe, and 200 were from Lesotho. Only 26 zama zamas were South Africans. 9 Of those who were arrested were in hospital under police guard.

What you need to know about the Stilfontein saga

• A teenager was among the illegal miners who were arrested in November 2024 when more miners re-emerged from the Stilfontein Mine
• The Gauteng High Court, in the same month, ruled against the call for aid from a civil rights group for the zama zamas
• The South African Federation of Trade Unions General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the miners deserve assistance

South Africans react

Netizens on Facebook were displeased with the figures.

Pule Motloung said:

"Let them go straight to jail."

Jimmy Jaijay HB'James said:

"It might well be time to vote the ANC out of office. They have failed to secure South Africa's borders."

Read also

3 Pretoria guards arrested on suspicions of hijackings in Pretoria

Craig Matwa said:

"These zama zamas have built their own township underground."

Judy King asked:

"What would happen if thousands of South Africans entered Zimbabwe illegally and started mining illegally, causing damage to the environment and causing problems with the surrounding communities?"

Mologadi Mantsho said:

"So the government is wasting millions that could have been used to create jobs by saving illegal foreigners."

36 bodies recovered at Stilfontein Mine

In a related article, Briefly News reported that 36 dead bodies were retrieved from the Stilfontein mine on 14 January. The police extracted 118 miners on the same day.

The minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, visited the mine, and angry protesters blocked their motorcade. They demanded that the government account for their loved ones who died underground.

Source: Briefly News