By REGINALD KANYANE
12 July 2025 – Three accused, Danny Mashaba (35), Samson Machigera (33) and Raphael Movela (24), are expected to briefly appear in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on 24 July 2025, for trespassing. Mashaba, Machigera and Movela were arrested for allegedly trespassing at Sibanye Stilwater’s Operation Belt 4 in Marikana on 8 July 2025.
The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said this comes after the security officers responded to an alarm at the shaft and upon investigation allegedly saw a group of people, who were on the way to walk out of the decline shaft gate (the shaft was closed for production in March 2024). Myburgh said upon seeing security officers, the group allegedly ran back into the shaft and left three dead bodies behind.
“The bodies were found fastened to self-made stretchers. Furthermore, four men were arrested. Out of the four, two were taken to hospital. One was treated and arrested after being discharged.
“The other one is still admitted under police guard. The police have also opened an inquest docket for investigation of the three bodies and the deceased are to be identified,” she said.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, immediately after the incident was reported to the police, instructed both the acting District Commissioner and the Provincial Operational Coordination Centre Head to plan a multi-disciplinary operation at this mine, which has never reported any incidents of illegal mining, trespassing or other illegal mining related crimes. Asaneng said the arrest of these suspects and the discovery of the three unidentified corpses are deeply worrisome after what was recently experienced in Stilfontein Buffelsfontein Gold mine.
“This latest incident clearly shows that what happened in Stilfontein are just the tip of the iceberg and a ticking time bomb on the extent and gravity of the illicit economy that is illegal mining.
“The police through Operation Vala Umgodi, have managed to stabilise the situation in the Gold mining sector in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, which have seen more and more incidents of illegal mining for chrome and associated crimes being reported in other districts and parts of the province such as Mooinooi, Tlhatlaganye, Tweelagte, Witrandjie and Masebudule, outside Zeerust and even in Ottoshoop, outside Mahikeng,” she said.
Asaneng said the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has been contacted as in all of these areas, rival community groupings and land owners are in the forefront of the disputes. He said sometimes violent confrontations are caused by either competing mining permits or land ownership disputes between families and traditional authorities and as such.
“The police will require the active involvement of all key role players to address this problem,” said Asaneng.
The Guardian 