Bapong Illegal Mine Crackdown: Police Arrest 21 Suspects
- SAPS arrests 21 suspects in a crackdown on illegal chrome mining in Bapong, North West
- The SAPS-led raids resulted in the seizure of vehicles, mining machinery and illegally extracted chrome
- The crackdown forms part of a broader national effort to dismantle zama zama mining networks operating in the province
Source: Getty Images
POTCHEFSTROOM- Police have arrested 21 people during a focused operation targeting illegal chrome mining activities in Bapong, North West, ahead of a scheduled visit by Police Minister Firoz Cachalia.
According to SABC News, the ten-day operation was led by the SAPS Crime Combating Team and carried out between 11 and 20 December 2025. Raids were conducted in several identified hotspots, including Sarajevo Section, Legalaopeng and the Modderspruit villages.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
SAPS operation details
In a breakdown of the arrests, SAPS confirmed that 11 suspects were arrested on Friday, 12 December 2025. One suspect was arrested on 13 December, five on 14 December, one on 18 December and three more on 20 December 2025.
During the raids, police confiscated vehicles, mining machinery and chrome-bearing material believed to have been illegally extracted.
Authorities say the arrests were mainly linked to contraventions of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, as well as immigration-related offences.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Ryno Naidoo commended officers involved in the operation, noting the complexity and risks associated with dismantling illegal mining operations, which are often deeply entrenched and well organised.
Authorities intensify crackdown on illegal mining
The Bapong operation forms part of a broader national strategy to combat so-called “zama zama” mining, an underground economy estimated to be draining up to R60 billion from South Africa each year.
In the North West, illegal mining has also been linked to violent turf wars, with rival groups competing for control of lucrative chrome- and platinum-rich areas. This violence has placed increasing pressure on authorities to take decisive action against the criminal networks driving illegal mining across the province.
The operations come amid rising tensions in Bapong, where residents have called for increased police protection and, in some cases, the release of arrested miners.
Source: Getty Images
Rise of zama zama mining in South Africa
With South Africa being a large producer of minerals like gold,South Africa’s position as a major mineral producer has long made it vulnerable to illegal mining. The decline of the formal mining industry from the 1970s created opportunities for rogue elements to enter the sector.
As major companies such as Anglo American scaled down operations, some abandoned mine shafts were not properly sealed. This allowed former mineworkers who had lost their jobs to continue mining illegally. Areas such as Stilfontein in Gauteng have since become major zama zama hotspots, with the BBC reporting that South Africa has approximately 6,000 abandoned mines.
High unemployment levels and illegal immigration have further exacerbated the problem, while violent clashes between rival zama zama gangs continue to threaten the safety of local communities.
2 Illegal mining related articles
In related news, Briefly reported that Operation Vala Umgodi has resulted in the arrest of approximately 1,000 illegal miners in Mpumalanga. SAPS said the suspects, most of whom were undocumented foreign nationals, were operating at the Sheba Gold Mine. Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli confirmed that the men would be charged with contraventions of the Immigration Act.
In another high-profile case, SAPS revealed that a large number of the miners that emerged from the Stilfontein Mine which captured national attention, were Mozambican nationals. National SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police retrieved 246 people from the Stilfontein mine shaft on 13 January 2025, along with 78 bodies.She further revealed that 1,905 zama zamas resurfaced between August 2024 and 15 January 2025, with the Margaret Shaft alone yielding 1,437 illegal miners. Public anger grew after it emerged that only 26 of those retrieved were South African nationals.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
