Some of the 336 zama zamas charged with illegal mining and contravention of the Immigration Act could face an additional charge of possession of gold-bearing material, said Magistrate Lizelle Kok in the Stilfontein Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The group, who appeared in the court in batches of 18 and 20 per session, was mainly dominated by Mozambican, Lesotho and Zimbabwean nationals. 

Kok barred the media from broadcasting, recording and publishing images and names of the 336 accused, notes News24.

‘Armed police officers are deployed in the court. The police will also protect the personnel in court. I will not allow video, broadcasting, or the media to record what happens in court. Don't publish the names of the accused,’ Kok ordered.

The case was postponed to 22 January 2025.

Officials from the Mozambique consulate watched the proceedings.

The consulate's first secretariat, Celso Zunguze, said the officials were in court to offer support to their citizens.

‘We haven't been provided with the number of Mozambicans arrested. It is important to give feedback to our Mozambican officials. Criminal or not, we don't interfere in the SA criminal justice system. We also want to assist where our help is needed, as in Mozambique. Our governments are united in this matter. To tighten the fight against this crime (illegal mining), we have to fight this syndicate as both Mozambican and SA Governments. One government can't understand this syndicate alone,’ Zunguze is quoted as saying in the News24 report.

Zunguze added their government didn't know the exact number of minor children from his country involved in illegal mining.

The chairperson of the Association of Communities of Mozambique Living in North West, Dennis Mabunda, claimed illegal mining in the province lured undocumented Mozambicans to SA in large numbers. Mabunda said members of the association were in court to determine the number of undocumented citizens appearing.

‘There are people from other countries who claim to be Mozambicans. We want to assist the court in identifying who is from our country and who is not. We don't condone crime and ensure the laws of this country are obeyed.'

Meanwhile, 17 illegal miners were arrested after they resurfaced yesterday. 

Three teenagers aged between 16 and 19 emerged from shaft 10. Fourteen zama zamas resurfaced at Margaret Shaft.

Full News24 report