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The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy and the Portfolio Committee on Police conducted a three-day joint oversight visit to Gauteng this week to establish facts regarding the gang-rape and robbery incident that took place on 28 July 2022 in West Village, Krugersdorp. 
 
The committees received briefings on the status of the mining license of a mine dump where the incident occurred from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), on the impact of illegal mining and associated crimes from the Harmony Gold and South African Police Service, on the mine closure programme from the Mintek and Council for Geoscience, on the status of illegal foreigners in the country from the Department of Home Affairs, and on the police action following the incident from the Krugersdorp Police Station. 
 
The committees also visited the site where gang-rape and armed robbery took place. Regarding police action following the incident, the committees heard that a total of 210 foreign national men who are alleged to be illegal miners in Krugersdorp area were arrested as of Thursday, 11 August 2022.
 
The committees heard that they are all charged for contravening the Immigration Act, and 14 of them including a 16-year old teenage boy appeared before the court on separate occasions to face rape and armed robbery charges. 
 
The committees applauded members of the police service at the Krugersdorp Police Station for their swift response following the incident and called on them to partner with the committees. “The suspects should not get bail and they deserve a harsher sentence. We hope that next time when we come here in Krugersdorp we will be celebrating their life sentences,” said the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson. 
 
On the status of the mine dump where the incident took place, the committees established that the mine belongs to Mogale Gold whose mining right is valid until August 2029. However, the company’s mining operations were suspended by the DMRE in 2018 due to non-compliance with the approved Mine Work Programme. 
 
Against this backdrop, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, has reiterated the need for the DMRE to effectively implement the principle of ‘use it or lose it,’ over and above the programme of closing disused and ownerless mines. “Under no circumstances should the mines be left dormant half-way because they end up as breeding ground for illegal mining activities. There needs to be a way in which the MPRDA is harmonised with the Companies Act to deal effectively with issues of mining rights and company liquidation,” said Mr Luzipo. 
 
The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy has directed the DMRE to provide a detailed report with regards to the history of mines operated by Maitails South Africa, including details of directors and the status of mining licenses. 
 
Mr Luzipo reiterated the need for partnership between role-players, including the DMRE, the Department of Police, and the Department of Home Affairs in order to capacitate Mintek and Council for Geoscience with skills and financial resources to fast-tract the programme of sealing off disused and ownerless mine shafts. The committees heard that both Mintek and CGS sealed off 56 shafts at disused and ownerless mines thus far and they are left with 26 shafts in the whole of West Rand. 
 
On the impact of illegal mining and associated crimes, the committees heard that illegal miners often commit statutory rape, rob communities at gun point, and commit murders with unlicensed high-calibre rifles. The illegal miners also remove pillars from underground mines which causes sinkholes. 
 
Ms Joemat-Pettersson, said: “Going forward, a cooperation between the Portfolio committee on Police, the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, and the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, will become important to conduct a joint oversight on the executive because, without a doubt this issue of illegal mining has become a serious threat to national security.”
 
On the status of illegal foreigners in the country, the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, lamented about a challenge of inadequate immigration officers and corrupt officials within his department, amongst other challenges. However, he said that measures such as the Border Management Authority (MBA) Act are yielding positive results such as the appointment of MBA Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners who set in motion the process of appointing Border Guards. 
 
Finally, the two committees will come up with clear recommendations that will be in a joint oversight report which will be tabled for debate in the National Assembly. 

Issued by The Chairperson of The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo and The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of Police Tine Joemat-Petterson