By OBAKENG MAJE
5 May 205- The ongoing Vala Umgodi operations continue to achieve successes. This comes after members deployed to deal with illegal mining arrested 43 men in Sun City, Mogwase and Tlhabane, for various crimes including the contravention of Section 49(1)(a) of the Immigration Act, 2002 (Act No. 13 of 2002).
The North West police spokesperson, Colonel Adele Myburgh said the first group of 13 suspects was arrested at Ledig village, near Sun City on Tuesday morning, 29 April 2025, for allegedly being illegal immigrants. Myburgh said two of the suspects, both aged 29 and South Africans, were given a R1500 fine each for employing illegal immigrants (the contravention of section 38(1) (b) of the Immigration Act).
“In Bojating village, near Mogwase on Thursday morning, the team arrested 17 more illegal immigrants – all men aged between 18 and 42. During this operation, police confiscated a generator, battery and a shovel.
“On Friday, the team arrested a further 13 men between the ages of 20 and 47 in Geelhout Park in Tlhabane and in Extension 9, Boitekong, for being illegal immigrants. One illegal immigrant, aged 44, was also charged for being in possession of a dangerous weapon and two more men aged 42 and 25, were arrested for possession of drugs,” she said.
Myburgh further said the police confiscated a variety of drugs, including cocaine and dagga. She added that, all mentioned suspects will appear in the Bafokeng and Mankwe Magistrate’s Courts respectively.
“The suspects are from different countries, including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Ethiopia, Swaziland, Nigeria and Lesotho,” said Myburgh.
Meanwhile, the acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng, said: “It is deeply concerning that almost every week the police in the province are arresting large numbers of foreign nationals for not only being in the country illegally, but also for a variety of crimes such as dealing in drugs, illegal possession of drugs, unlicensed firearms, illegal mining and murders.
“They are also involved in robberies, theft of livestock and a raft of serious crimes, which threaten the territorial integrity, personal safety, the economy and undermine the authority of the state.”
Asaneng said the involvement of foreign nationals in the commission of crime, whether aided or abetted by South Africans, poses a serious threat to national security. He said as such requires a collaborative effort by civil society and various government’s security and social departments such as the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Border Management Authority, Customs/ South African Revenue Services (SARS), Home Affairs Immigration, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The Guardian 