The Giyani Magistrate’s Court has remanded 41-year-old Mozambican national America Chauke in custody after he was arrested by police in Limpopo for illegal mining-related offences and contravening the Immigration Act.
During Chauke’s arrest, police seized gold and mining equipment valued around R3 million at Giyani in Limpopo.
“The case was postponed to December 18, 2024, for further police investigations. The suspect remanded to police custody,” said provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa.
Chauke was arrested during an intervention dubbed Operation Green which was conducted by the Polokwane-based Hawks serious organised crime investigation, Giyani-based Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), State Security Agency and South African Diamond and Precious Medal Regulator (SADPMR).
“The operation is aimed at dismantling all the scourges of the illegal mining activities in the Giyani and Malamulele areas of the Mopani District,” said Mmuroa.
During the operation, the law enforcement team went to a farm in the area, where they found a man refining gold.
“During the interview, it was established that he is a Mozambican national, and he does not have documents to be in South Africa. He was immediately put under arrest,” said Mmuroa.
Property, including loads of dumps, hosepipes, shovels, built-in leaching tanks, chemical containers, a phenduka, a wheelbarrow, water tanks and refined gold, was seized.
A 'phenduka' is makeshift equipment used by zama zamas to refine and extract minerals.
Chauke faces charges of contravention of the Immigration Act and contravention of the Precious Medal Act.
Meanwhile, provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender has saluted the law enforcement team “for the excellent work done”.
IOL