After days of intensive operational planning, the City of Ekurhuleni has moved in to shut down the week-long illegal gold rush at the Gugulethu informal settlement in Springs, following an appeal to the national government for reinforcements.
A multi-disciplinary law enforcement team, comprising the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS), descended on the area on Wednesday to dismantle the informal mining operations. The takedown operation targeted hundreds of hopefuls who had invaded the settlement, digging large holes and turning parts of the township upside down in search of gold.
In the first phase of the intervention, authorities dismantled the equipment used for sifting and digging. While community members had earlier vowed to continue mining despite the police presence, they have since dispersed, leaving law enforcement as the only presence on site.
According to live television reports from the scene, the immediate priority was to stop the illegal activities and ensure public safety. The EMPD confirmed that the operation was intelligence-driven and successful in its primary objectives.
Speaking from the scene, City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Phakamile Mbengashe stated that the operation had met its goals.
“We feel that it was a success. The main objective was to stop the illegal mining operations. The second was to ensure that there’s public safety and no one gets hurt,” Mbengashe said.
He confirmed that three individuals have been arrested on charges of illegal mining. “The charge will be illegal mining. You do know that it is illegal to try and mine resources under the ground without mining rights,” he added.
Mbengashe revealed that law enforcement agencies are continuing their work in the background, with intelligence gathering focused on capturing the kingpins behind the operation. “SAPS do tell us that there’s more intelligence happening in the background to try and catch the kingpins, the real bad guys who are promoting and forcing people to dig,” he explained.
While mining activities have ceased, authorities are aware that many diggers are waiting for law enforcement to leave before potentially returning. In response, the City plans to deploy teams starting Thursday to fill the numerous holes that were dug over the past seven days.
“From tomorrow, we’re going to have our teams closing the holes. We think it’s important that the place is safe because there are children around the area. We want to close the holes and then there will be constant monitoring,” Mbengashe said.
The operation is part of a broader strategy to clamp down on illegal mining within the municipality, with Mbengashe hinting at further operations planned for other affected areas, including Brakpan.
Addressing long-term solutions, Mbengashe highlighted ongoing intergovernmental work, including national strategies like Operation Vuk’uzenzele. He also expressed hope regarding the recent announcement of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers being deployed to the province.
“Hopefully they’ll be able to assist with this illegal mining problem as well,” he said, though he confirmed that the municipality has not yet formally approached the SANDF regarding the Gugulethu site specifically.
With law enforcement maintaining a presence in the area and earth-moving equipment scheduled to arrive soon, the City of Ekurhuleni has declared the immediate threat addressed, while warning that those who attempt to resume digging do so at their own risk.