Six suspected illegal miners found shot dead on Mpumalanga mountain

Six suspected illegal miners have been found shot dead on a mountain in Mashobote, near Ngodwana, according to IOL. Mpumalanga police say the bodies were discovered after a local reported seeing human remains on the mountain.

How the bodies were discovered

According to IOL, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said police received a call from a local at 11:00am on Saturday reporting human bodies on a mountain in Mashobote. Members of an illicit mining team were dispatched to the scene.

Police findings and preliminary leads

On arrival, police found six bodies with gunshot wounds, which authorities suspect are those of illegal miners, IOL reports. Preliminary investigation suggests the incident could be related to rivalry among illegal mining groups operating in the area, the report says.

Investigation and police response

Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant-General Apaphia Modise told IOL she had noted with concern the discovery of six bodies in one place and that detectives had been deployed to “work around the clock and establish exactly what transpired.”

Modise also said,

“On the other hand, we are continuing to intensify Operation Vala Umgodi to deal decisively with illegal mining activities in the province of Mpumalanga.”

Wider context

According to IOL, illegal mining activities are prevalent in several provinces, including Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, and Limpopo.

The circumstances surrounding the killings remain under investigation, and police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward, IOL reports.