By Levy Masiteng
Two South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were killed after falling into an open, abandoned vertical mine shaft while pursuing suspected illegal miners during an anti-illegal mining operation in western Johannesburg.
Authorities at the Department of Defence and Military Veterans confirmed the deaths on Friday.
According to the department, the incident occurred at about 06:00 during Operation Prosper at the abandoned CRD Mine.
The SANDF said soldiers spotted suspected illegal miners emerging from underground workings and pursued them into one of the mine’s tunnels. During the chase, two soldiers fell into an open, abandoned vertical shaft.
“Specialised emergency response teams, including Mine Rescue Services and disaster management personnel, were immediately dispatched to the scene in an attempt to rescue the soldiers. Regrettably, the recovery operation has concluded with the retrieval of the bodies of both members,” the department said.
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga, Secretary for Defence Bereng Mthimkhulu and Chief of the SANDF General Rudzani Maphwanya extended their “deepest, most heartfelt condolences” to the families, friends and colleagues of the deceased.
The Ministry of Police and the South African Police Service (SAPS) also paid tribute to the soldiers, describing their deaths as a devastating loss to the country’s security forces.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
“The loss of these courageous soldiers is a devastating blow to the security cluster and the nation at large. We honour their commitment, dedication and selfless service in the fight against illegal mining and organised crime,” Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said.
Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane praised the close cooperation between the SANDF and SAPS in combating illegal mining.
“SANDF members have been invaluable partners in Operation Prosper and other crime-fighting initiatives. Their bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. We remain committed to ensuring that the work they dedicated their lives to continues,” Dimpane said.
Police said joint SAPS and SANDF operations conducted between 1 April and 30 June resulted in the arrest of 793 suspects, including 595 undocumented foreign nationals.
Authorities also seized illegal mining equipment, including generators and phendukas, as well as 973,859 grams of gold-bearing material.
“The sacrifices made by our members and soldiers will not be in vain. We remain steadfast in our efforts to eradicate illegal mining and protect South Africa’s economic interests from criminal syndicates,” Cachalia said.
The SANDF said the formal identification process was under way and the names of the deceased would only be released once their next of kin had been informed.
