South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers have dismantled illegal mining operations in areas on the outskirts of Johannesburg as part of the expanding Operation Prosper deployment, which now spans five provinces. Illegal miners, locally known as zama zamas, fled as troops moved in to disrupt their activities and secure the affected sites.
Operation Prosper represents a significant escalation in the government’s response to illegal mining — a criminal enterprise that has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in abandoned gold mine shafts in and around the Rand area. These operations are frequently run by organised criminal syndicates with links to international networks, and are associated with violence, extortion and the murder of rival groups.
The operation involves close coordination between the SANDF and the South African Police Service, with soldiers providing force multiplication and logistical support to police officers conducting raids. The five-province focus reflects the geographic spread of illegal mining activity, which has expanded beyond the traditional Gauteng heartland into the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
SANDF spokesperson Brig-Gen Andries Mahapa confirmed that the operations had resulted in the seizure of mining equipment, gold-bearing ore, and other contraband. Several individuals were also apprehended at the scenes, though a number of illegal miners escaped into tunnel systems beneath the affected areas.
Communities living near illegal mining sites have broadly welcomed the military’s involvement, citing years of criminal intimidation, noise, pollution and infrastructural damage associated with zama zama activity.
