/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, has welcomed the arrest of 20 suspected illegal miners in North West.

Mr Luzipo has noted with appreciation the seizure of a lot of different unlicensed firearms, explosives and illegal gold during the arrests. He said that the committee has always believed that illegal miners used unlicensed firearms to torment communities through armed robberies, rape and murders.

He added: “We are particularly pleased that the arrests come hot on the heels of a successful arrests of alleged illegal mining kingpins in Gauteng. However, what makes these ones in North West a more welcoming development, is the fact that a large number of illegal fire arms were seized.”

Mr Luzipo said he hoped that the National Prosecuting Authority remains ready to oppose bail should the suspects apply for it. Furthermore, he has encouraged the Hawks to keep up the momentum in order to effect more arrests in the entire value-chain of illegal mining in the identified five provinces with illegal mining hotspots.

He said he is pleased that these arrests have taken place before a joint oversight visit to the province this coming weekend to assess the extent of illegal mining by the Portfolio Committees on Mineral Resources and Energy, Police and Home Affairs.

The committees have already conducted joint oversight visits in four provinces out of the five provinces that are regarded as hotspots for illegal mining. The four provinces that have been visited are: Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Free State. North West is the last of the five provinces to be visited jointly by these committees.
 

Issued by The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo