South African police have arrested 540 illegal miners, or “zama zamas,” after forcing them out of an abandoned mine shaft in Orkney, located in the country’s northern region. The miners were driven to the surface following a strategic blockade by security forces that cut off food and water supplies earlier this week, leading to severe conditions of starvation and dehydration within the mine.
The operation began Saturday, with miners emerging steadily since then, while hundreds are believed to remain underground. On Sunday, National Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Shadrack Sibiya urged security forces “not to back down” and to “restore the rule of law,” according to a statement released by the police.
Authorities have blocked communities around Orkney from delivering essential supplies to the miners, further pressuring them to surrender. By Saturday, 225 miners had resurfaced, and an additional 340 came to the surface on Sunday, where they were promptly detained.
The arrests underscore South Africa’s ongoing battle against illegal mining, which often occurs in abandoned and hazardous sites across the mineral-rich country. Thousands of Zama zamas, a term meaning “those who try their luck” in Zulu, operate outside legal frameworks, risking their lives to mine for valuable resources.
Since December 2023, the police crackdown on illegal mining has led to the arrest of over 13,690 suspects across seven provinces, Lt. Gen. Sibiya reported. Law enforcement has also seized cash amounting to R5 million ($283,000) and uncut diamonds worth R32 million ($1.8 million).
The recent Orkney arrests are part of intensified efforts by South African authorities to curb illegal mining, an activity that has long posed challenges to security and the local economy.
