By REGINALD KANYANE
7 April 2025- A man (46) who was arrested for allegedly being in possession of explosives during Operation Vala Umgodi, was granted a R500 bail by the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court. The accused, Petrus Madika was arrested during a stop and search operation.
The North West police spokesperson, Captain Mpho Manyoba said Madika was charged for contravention of the Explosives Act, which prohibits the possession of explosives.
Manyoba said the explosives are used to commit illegal mining.
“The same team conducted operations at one of the illegal mining hotspots at Shiva Uranium mine and they seized explosives, which were apparently hidden by illegal mining suspects. The seized explosives included four blasting cartridges, one connector fuse cap and 27 metres of detonating cord.
“This discovery is yet another commendable work by the police in eradicating illegal mining. The Vala Umgodi team will continue to make breakthroughs in addressing illegal mining and related crimes,” she said.
The Guardian 