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SAPS slammed for lack of training as illegal mining crisis deepens
A crisis with no specialist response
South Africa’s illegal mining problem has grown into a national emergency. Yet, this week Parliament raised serious alarm that the South African Police Service still does not have tailored training courses to deal with it.
Portfolio committees across Police, Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Home Affairs, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment met in a joint sitting to confront what they called an “unacceptable gap” in SAPS preparedness. Ian Cameron, who chairs the Police Committee, did not mince words, stressing that it was unacceptable that such an entrenched crime trend has no specialist training attached to it.
Communities demanding action
The joint sitting was triggered by a petition from residents of Ward 92 in Ekurhuleni, who called on Parliament for urgent intervention. The petition, brought forward by DA MP Michele Clarke, highlighted the daily fear and destruction communities face near abandoned mines.
For many residents, illegal mining is not an abstract economic issue. It means collapsing ground, polluted rivers, and violent turf wars spilling into neighbourhoods.
Beyond the foot soldiers
While Parliament noted the arrests made through Operation Vala Umgodi, MPs admitted the impact is limited. Syndicates behind illegal mining operations remain largely untouched, while foot soldiers, often desperate and unemployed, are the ones filling cells.
The committees called for a strategic shift. They want mining companies held accountable for rehabilitating old shafts, better border controls to stem cross-border syndicate activity, and tougher environmental enforcement.
The bigger picture
Illegal mining is no longer seen as a policing issue alone. MPs pushed for a multidisciplinary approach that ropes in Home Affairs, environmental regulators, the Defence Force, and even private security firms. They also urged cross-border intelligence sharing with neighbouring countries.
South Africa’s illegal mining economy has become a sophisticated criminal industry, worth billions, and MPs argued that treating it only as a local policing problem is shortsighted.
What happens next
Each committee involved will now submit formal questions to their respective departments, with a consolidated report set to be tabled before the National Assembly. The intention is to drive coordinated action that looks beyond arrests and addresses the root causes fuelling the crisis.
For communities living in the shadow of abandoned shafts, the message from Parliament is clear: the time for surface-level responses is over. Whether SAPS and its partners can deliver a stronger, smarter fight against illegal mining will soon be put to the test.
Also read: DA Slams Alleged R4 Billion Reallocation Amid Johannesburg Water Crisis
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Facebook/South African Police Service
