‘Set our husbands free’, Barberton community pleads for release of arrested 500 illegal miners
The community of Barberton in Mpumalanga is calling on authorities to release about 500 illegal miners arrested at Sheba Mine on Friday, saying their husbands were only trying to provide for their families.
Many of the detained are believed to be undocumented foreign nationals who had turned to illegal mining in a desperate attempt to earn a living. Now, their wives and families say they are left without support.
“These men are our husbands, our brothers. They are not criminals they were just trying to put food on the table,” said one woman outside the police station. “We don’t have money for lawyers or bail. All we want is for them to come home.”
The mass arrests were part of SAPS’ Operation Vala Umgodi, a crackdown on illegal mining that has drawn both praise and criticism. Meanwhile, 28 more miners surfaced from underground shafts on Monday, further complicating the situation.