South African authorities have arrested 225 illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas,” who were forced to the surface of an abandoned mine in Orkney, North West Province, due to a shortage of food and water. The arrests took place after police blocked routes used by accomplices to supply provisions to the miners, who were left with no option but to emerge from the shaft in a state of starvation and dehydration.

A police spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that surveillance continues around the abandoned mine as more illegal miners, reportedly numbering in the hundreds, remain trapped underground.

Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, noted that the arrest of these miners is part of a larger crackdown on illegal mining operations across the country. Since December 2023, more than 13,691 suspected illegal miners have been arrested across seven provinces. Authorities have also seized uncut diamonds worth approximately R32 million ($1.8 million) and R5 million ($283,000) in cash.

South Africa’s mineral-rich terrain attracts thousands of illegal miners, many from other countries, who operate under hazardous conditions. While these miners risk their lives in search of gold and other precious resources, their activities disrupt mining companies and contribute to local crime, heightening tensions within affected communities.