Africa-Press – South-Africa. Fourteen people who were arrested for illegal mining in Stilfontein in the North West this week have decided not to apply for bail.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Henry Mamothame, it is alleged that the 14 accused are undocumented foreign nationals from three countries.
They have been charged with the contravention of the Immigration Act and illegal mining, and are expected to appear in court on 28 March.
A 15th accused – a South African man – has also been charged with illegal mining, as well as the unlawful possession of a firearm and explosives.
He is scheduled to apply for bail on 3 March.
Mamothame said more charges could be added.
They were arrested in an operation involving the North West Air Wing, the Explosives Unit, and Public Order Policing after the units responded to information received during an investigation at a nearby mine.
Authorities seized food, explosives cartridges, detonating cords, capped fuses, four generators, and illegal mining paraphernalia consisting of 23 buckets of gold-bearing material, electric mills, heavy-duty electrical equipment, water pumps, and diesel.
“The Hawks said the illegal mining activities were allegedly operated through a heavy-duty industrial generator, while supplemented by other smaller generators, which were strategically located at multiple processing stations for gold-bearing material,” Mamothame said.
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