Sand miners continue their illegal activities

Six months after establishing of a task team to address the ongoing illegal sand mining in the Komati River, authorities are still in the planning phases of a joint operation.

According to the spokesperson for the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency (IUCMA), Sylvia Machimana, “An illegal mining forum has been resuscitated and a task team has been established to deal with illegal sand mining activities”.

This task team is comprised of officials from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), the SAPS, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA).

Machimana represents all these stakeholders. “The responsibility of the task team will be to plan and conduct joint operations,” she added.

A similar response regarding the duty of the task team was given in August after initial queries had been sent by Lowvelder.

“A joint investigation was conducted on August 19 and 20, 2020, by IUCMA and the DMRE. It was agreed that the matter should be taken to the Mpumalanga Illegal Mining Forum through the task team to ensure that support is provided from all the relevant stakeholders such as the DHA, National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit and the SAPS.

Thus far, no arrests have been made as the task team could not place the suspects at the scene. “During an investigation conducted on December 14 and 15, 2020, most of the equipment used in the illegal sand mining activities were found parked on the banks of the water resources, except for one of which the owner was found to have a mining permit from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy,” Machimana said. “Further investigations are under way with the aim of pursuing the matter criminally.”

The delay in progress is being ascribed to logistical issues and to the adherence of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. “The DMRE and SAPS are spearheading the forum’s investigations. They are still at the plenary phase as there are lot of resources required. For example, storage and transportation of confiscated equipment to be used as evidence, and also as part of the implementation of Chapter 5 and 6 of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (Poca).”

Chapters 5 and 6 of the Poca deal with the proceeds of unlawful activities and the civil recovery of property, respectively.

“It is advisable that the areas where these activities are taking place be identified and reported to the DMRE as opposed to going to the sites with the media. The site has been visited in the last six months. In order for the evidence to be deemed acceptable, the investigators or inspectors must have found the perpetrators in action.”

According to Machimana, the forum and the task team are still determined to make an arrest in the near future. “The forum intends to start with the operations aimed at taking measures, including arrests, by April. The team is currently gathering all the resources required for this purpose.”