MEC MORWENG APPLAUDS POLICE FOR SUCCESSFUL VALA UMGODI OPERATIONS

Mafikeng – MEC responsible for North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng has applauded police for the arrest of suspected undocumented foreign nationals involved in illegal mining. The 11 suspects from Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique were arrested during the ongoing Vala Umgodi operations.

Nine of the eleven were in an operation in Ramochana near Boitekong outside Rustenburg and two at Tlhatlaganyane outside Mogwase village in the Sun City policing precinct.

Meeanwhile, a 36-year-old South African man was fined R1500.00 for contravening Immigration Act by employing undocumented foreign national.

The Vala Umgodi operations are ongoing to fight criminality in and around mining areas. The activity is also costing the country’s economy an estimated 70 billion Rand annually.

MEC Morweng says all kinds of criminality will be dealt with. “We can’t be held at ransom by criminals and even want to ligitimise illegal activities under the pretence of joblessness. As is the case in the current arrests, as had been with previous ones, majority of the those arrested are illegal in the country. More often they are also wanted for other contraventions. We also are appealing to communities to report all suspected criminal activities of any kind. I am grateful for all the hard work by law enforcement officers to nip theirs criminality in the bud”, said MEC Morweng.

According to the Third Quarter Crime Statistics, illicit mining activities are mostly found in Matlosana, Rustenburg and Moses Kotane municipalities.

ENDS!