JOHANNESBURG-(MaraviPost)-Twenty-three Zimbabwean nationals are among 63 undocumented foreign nationals arrested during a joint military and police operation targeting illegal mining in Gauteng, South African authorities have confirmed.
The arrests were made on Monday, 19 October 2026, during an intelligence-led Operation PROSPER in West Village, Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
According to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS), those detained include 29 Mozambicans, 23 Zimbabweans, eight Basotho from Lesotho, and one Malawian national.
All are reported to be undocumented.
The operation was carried out by Alpha and Bravo Companies of the Solomon Mahlangu Regiment, in support of SAPS, as part of the ongoing national effort to curb illicit mining and associated violent crime in the West Rand.
Illegal mining, locally known as zama-zama activity, has become a major security and economic challenge in Gauteng, Free State and North West provinces, with heavily armed groups operating in abandoned gold mine shafts.
The government launched Operation PROSPER and Operation Vala Umgodi to coordinate SANDF and SAPS resources against the syndicates.
During the West Village raid, authorities seized a significant cache of equipment and weapons. Items recovered included three pistols and 31 rounds of ammunition, 60 phendukas — the steel grinding pots used to process gold-bearing ore — along with gas cylinders, 40 steel balls used in milling, water gel explosives, Cordtex detonators and two shovels.
Security officials said the presence of firearms and explosives highlights the dangerous nature of illegal mining operations, which have been linked to turf wars, murder, extortion and environmental degradation.
The high number of Zimbabwean nationals involved reflects a broader pattern seen in South Africa’s crackdown on illicit mining.
With Zimbabwe’s economy under sustained strain and unemployment high, thousands of Zimbabweans have crossed into South Africa seeking work, with some drawn into the hazardous informal mining economy.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that many low-level workers in zama-zama operations are themselves exploited by heavily armed syndicates.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of those arrested.
The 63 suspects are expected to face charges related to illegal mining, unlawful possession of explosives and firearms, and contravention of the Immigration Act. If convicted on immigration charges, they face deportation after serving any criminal sentence.
The SANDF said operations will continue in Mogale City and across Gauteng as part of a sustained campaign.
“The SANDF remains committed to supporting SAPS in combating illegal mining and related criminal activities that threaten the safety and economic stability of communities,” the operation command said in a statement.
For Zimbabwe, the arrests add to a growing consular challenge. The Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria and consulate in Johannesburg routinely handle hundreds of cases of nationals detained in South Africa for immigration and mining-related offences. Officials have in the past urged Zimbabweans to seek regular migration pathways and avoid involvement in dangerous underground work.
South Africa is home to an estimated one million to two million Zimbabweans, the largest Zimbabwean diaspora community, making developments in South Africa’s immigration enforcement closely watched in Harare.
Police said investigations are ongoing to determine whether the group is linked to larger illegal mining syndicates operating in the West Village area, which has seen repeated fatal clashes between rival zama-zama groups over access to abandoned mine shafts.
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