The ongoing “Vala Umgodi” operations in the Province continues to achieve successes.
This after team members arrested 12 males between Saturday, 15 February 2025, in Sun City and Rustenburg in the Bojanala Platinum Sub-District 2, for contravention of Section 49(1) (a) of the Immigration Act, 2002 and illegal mining. Of these arrests, two were effected in Witrandjie village near Sun City, while 10 were held in Kroondal, Rustenburg, where a man was also fined R1 500.00 for employing illegal immigrant.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 47 are from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Malawi. They appeared in Mogwase and Rustenburg Magistrates’ Courts respectively. The pair that appeared in Mogwase, was remanded in custody until Monday, 7 April 2025, for bail application. Of the 10 accused appeared in Rustenburg, six were remanded in custody. They will be back in court on different dates between 25 February and 14 March 2025. The other four accused were found guilty for contravention of Section 49(1) (a) of the Immigration Act, 2002, and each sentenced to a fine of R5000.00 or three months imprisonment.
Still in Rustenburg, five more suspects were arrested separately between Monday, 17 and Tuesday, 18 February 2025, in Kroondal, for contravention of the Immigration Act, 2002.
During the operations the team seized items such as shovels, jack hammers, generators, a water pump and chrome material weighing nearly 13 kg. Moreover, various counterfeit goods worth more than R2.7 million were confiscated in separate operations in Zeerust, Koster and Brits.
The Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng congratulated team members for their persistent efforts in the fight against illicit mining and related crimes.
