Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Michael Sun MPL.
Illegal mining is thriving in Gauteng, leaving a trail of violence, environmental destruction, economic loss, and fear for surrounding communities. Despite these known threats, Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government has failed to dismantle criminal syndicates driving this illicit industry. There are 2,533 illegal mining operations identified across Gauteng between 2022 and 2026.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) reiterates its call for the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) to establish a dedicated Anti-Illegal Mining Special Task Team, including the police, intelligence services, prosecutors, and inspectors. The task team must coordinate with national departments, municipalities, and the mining sector to dismantle illegal mining networks and bring those responsible to justice.
A written reply by Premier Lesufi to DA questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) lays bare the escalating crisis of illegal mining. The number of identified illegal mining operations more than doubled from 379 in 2022/2023 to 811 in 2025/2026 – a remarkable 114% increase in four and a half years. Overall, 2,533 illegal mining operations were identified across Gauteng during this period.
Even more concerning is that illegal miners are currently exploiting 614 disused mines across the province. These include 317 in Ekurhuleni, 149 in Johannesburg, 147 on the West Rand and one in Sedibeng. During the same period, police arrested 1,203 suspects, of whom 1,144 (approximately 95%) were undocumented foreign nationals.
See reply here.
These figures confirm that illegal mining has evolved into a sophisticated criminal enterprise that continues to expand across Gauteng and poses serious security risks. The deaths of two South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members last week, after they fell into an abandoned mine shaft while pursuing suspected illegal miners in western Johannesburg, underscore the severe dangers associated with it.
This stands in stark contrast to Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s claim in his 2024 State of the Province Address (SOPA) that Gauteng is “continuously breaking the back of zama zamas”, as his written reply tells a different story. Instead of declining, illegal mining operations have more than doubled, contradicting the Premier’s assertion.
The Lesufi-led government can no longer rely on piecemeal enforcement. It must heed the DA call and launch a dedicated Anti-Illegal Mining Task Team to target the kingpins and financiers behind illegal mining while arresting those on the ground.
To address this issue, the Premier should work with the national government to organise an intergovernmental meeting including the Department of Minerals and Energy, SAPS, the Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Trade and Industry, to find ways to formalise this industry.
A DA-led Gauteng government would establish a dedicated Anti-Illegal Mining Task Team to dismantle criminal networks driving illegal mining through intelligence-led operations. Additionally, we would work with the national government to formalise legitimate artisanal and small-scale mining, creating a lawful pathway for genuine miners while isolating organised criminal syndicates.