SCHOEMANSKLOOF, MPUMALANGA — A second body has been discovered as Mpumalanga zama zama violence continues to escalate, forcing authorities to shut down the strategic N4 corridor and prompting urgent calls for military intervention.
The grim discovery follows a series of violent confrontations between rival groups of suspected illegal miners fighting for territorial dominance in the province’s abandoned gold mines.
Police Recover Evidence and Second Victim
Law enforcement officials confirmed the recovery of a second male body suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the Mashoboto area near Schoemanskloof outside Mbombela. This follows the discovery of a first body earlier in the week.
Brigadier Donald Mdluli, spokesperson for the Mpumalanga police, detailed the scene, noting that investigators recovered high-caliber cartridges, live ammunition, and an empty AK-47 magazine at the site. Bloodstains were also found in the vicinity.
According to Brigadier Mdluli, the violence is driven by alleged illegal miners battling for control of the gold-bearing grounds. The second victim was positively identified through a valid passport found on his person, confirming he was a foreign national from Lesotho.
Addressing public concern over the persistent illegal activities, Brigadier Mdluli highlighted recent police efforts, noting that more than 80 arrests have been made in the past week. He explained that police are continuously reassessing and redeploying resources to the mountains.
“We are doing the work,” Brigadier Mdluli stated, adding that Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale recently engaged with stakeholders to address the community’s distress over constant gunfire disrupting their livelihoods. The police are currently conducting operations under Operation Vala to monitor and clamp down on the syndicates.
Turf Wars Spill Onto Agricultural Land
The escalating turf wars are no longer confined to the mountains, with violence increasingly spilling over onto surrounding agricultural lands.
Mpumalanga Community Safety MEC Jackie Macie warned that the situation is highly complex, describing the illegal miners as operating like heavily armed gangs. She noted that foreign nationals are dominating the areas around Pilgrim’s Rest, Barberton, and the Makhonjwa Mountains to fight for mining space.
To protect local farmers and residents, MEC Macie confirmed that additional police units have been deployed to secure the affected agricultural zones, ensuring 24-hour patrols so communities can feel safe and continue their work.
Environmental and Economic Devastation
Beyond the loss of life, the illegal mining operations are causing severe environmental and economic damage. MEC Macie explained that the syndicates extract gold-bearing material and wash it in local rivers using harmful chemicals.
This contamination threatens vital drinking water sources for local communities and devastates local wildlife. Furthermore, the environmental degradation has severely impacted the tourism sector. The Makhonjwa Mountains, a recognized heritage and tourist site near Barberton, have seen a sharp decline in visitors, leading to lost provincial revenue and shed job opportunities.
Calls for Military Intervention and Mine Rehabilitation
To combat the heavily armed syndicates, MEC Macie is urgently calling for the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to act as a force multiplier.
“We need a kind of intelligence operation that will include the national South African National Defence Force to come as a force multiplier,” MEC Macie urged. She emphasized that a sustained, long-term deployment backed by serious financial and human resources is required. The focus must be on intelligence-driven operations to track and arrest the financiers and handlers managing the illegal miners on the ground.
Addressing the root cause of the invasions, MEC Macie pointed to the improper closure of abandoned mines. She called on the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to take accountability and ensure these sites are properly rehabilitated and sealed to prevent future access.
“The DMR is the one responsible… we are just leaning on the mess that has been happening from the mines,” MEC Macie stated, stressing that national government intervention is critical to reassess and permanently close these dangerous, abandoned sites.
