By Zuko Komisa
- Joint security forces detained 1,700 illegal miners (zama zamas) at Ezulwini on Gauteng’s West Rand during a major intelligence-led raid on 7 August 2026.
- The operation deployed three companies from the SANDF’s Solomon Mahlangu Regiment under Joint Tactical Headquarters Gauteng to bolster the South African Police Service.
- Officers recovered an unlicensed Norinco 9mm handgun alongside magazines and live ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles and Uzi submachine guns.
In a major intelligence-driven operation on 7 August 2026, a joint force comprising the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) apprehended 1,700 illegal miners locally known as zama zamas at Ezulwini in Gauteng’s West Rand.
Operating under Joint Tactical Headquarters Gauteng, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies of the Solomon Mahlangu Regiment deployed to support police forces at the Cooke 2 shaft area as part of the broader anti-crime initiative, Operation PROSPER.
During the raid, officers seized an unlicensed 9mm Norinco pistol loaded with eight rounds, an AK-47 magazine containing 10 rounds, and an empty magazine for an Uzi submachine gun.
Authorities reported that one suspect evaded capture by leaping into the Slime River during the raid.
Highlighting their role in maintaining public safety and curbing illicit mining operations across the province, the SANDF affirmed its ongoing operational mandate:
“The South African National Defence Force said it remains committed to supporting the South African Police Service in combating criminality in communities.”
READ NEXT: 14 illegal miners dead at a disused mine in North West
