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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, has expressed disappointment on learning from media reports that charges of armed robbery and sexual assault against 14 suspects in the horrifying crime committed at a mine dump in Krugersdorp in August this year have been dropped.

Mr Luzipo understands that the suspects are now facing a single charge of contravening immigration laws. They are believed to be foreign nationals who are in the country illegally to conduct illegal mining activities.

The portfolio committees on Mineral Resources and Energy, Police and Home Affairs conducted joint oversight visits to assess the extent to which illegal mining affects communities in five provinces in the aftermath of the crime committed on 28 August.

The committees visited Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West and Free State, where they learnt that communities do fear illegal miners. Most of the miners are reported to be foreign nationals from Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Eswatini.

Mr Luzipo is confident that the police will do everything in their power to bring the rightful perpetrators to book. He is encouraged by recent developments in Gauteng, where alleged ringleaders of illegal mining were arrested and their luxury vehicles seized. In addition, a woman has been arrested in connection with the Krugersdorp crime. The police have also recently arrested alleged illegal miners for possession of illegal firearms, explosives and rounds of ammunition in Stilfontein, North West.

Mr Luzipo said, “Although suspects may be acquitted of armed robbery and sexual assault charges, we still pray that they should not be granted bail until they are sentenced accordingly,in terms of the charge that they are facing.”

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo