Seven more illegal miners were pulled from an abandoned mine in Stilfontein on Friday.
Six of the miners resurfaced from shaft 10 at the former Buffelsfontein Gold Mine, while another was retrieved from shaft 11.
These developments follow weeks of standoffs between law enforcement and illegal miners occupying the abandoned site.
Operation Vala Umgodi, which began intensifying in October, aims to dismantle illegal mining networks across the North West and six other provinces.
Since the beginning of the operation, over 1,400 illegal miners, known as zama zamas, have been arrested.
Sabata Mokgwabone, spokesperson for the North West Police, confirmed that those arrested on Friday face various charges, including trespassing and possession of gold-bearing material.
“The first two illegal miners resurfaced in the early hours of today. They are both Zimbabwean foreign nationals. One of them was found in possession of gold-bearing material. Still at shaft no. 10, four illegal miners resurfaced at about 08:30. They included two Mozambicans, one Mosotho and a South African who was found in possession of gold-bearing material.”
Recent reports indicate that one illegal miner was extracted from shaft 11. He is a foreign national from Mozambique.
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