Bapong village near Brits has recently emerged as one of the illegal mining hotspots, with residents rattled by illicit miners digging dangerously close to their homes. Desperate messages circulating on social media paint a grim picture of a community gripped by fear. 

Residents claim illegal miners, commonly known as zama zamas, are operating openly and with apparent impunity.

“We are under siege. There are illegal mining operations everywhere, and the people guarding them are heavily armed,” one distressed resident said. “Please help us.”

Community members further allege that homes are being demolished to make way for illicit mining activities, leaving families displaced and traumatised. Some residents say they are too afraid to leave their houses or report incidents to authorities, fearing violent retaliation from heavily armed groups protecting the illegal operations.

While delivering his state of the province address on Thursday (26/2), North West premier Lazarus Mokgosi assured communities in Bapong, Masebudule, and Tlhatlaganyane that the government is not resting on its laurels in tackling illegal mining.

“Following our successful intervention in Matlosana, where more than one thousand four hundred illegal miners were arrested, the SA National Defence Force will be deployed in the province to capacitate the work of the South African Police Service in identified hotspots,” he said.

The deployment follows a major crackdown in Matlosana, where authorities arrested over 1,400 suspected illegal miners in recent operations.

National police commissioner Fannie Masemola had also warned that illegal mining in Bapong will not be tolerated. He highlighted serious threats posed to the safety, health, and livelihoods of residents, stressing that decisive action will continue until stability is restored.

To address the escalating crisis, an integrated multidisciplinary intervention team has been established under joint provincial and national task teams. 

The team includes officials from the police, the department of mineral resources and energy, the department of water and sanitation, forestry, fisheries and the environment, home affairs, and the department of justice and constitutional development.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi