Post #620

South Africa steps up raids on illegal mining in Gauteng, pairing police sweeps with military support and tougher prosecutions. 🌐Paul Mashatile, the Deputy President of South Africa, told SA's National Council of Provinces on Thursday the state is running active operations against illegal mining activities. According to social media sources (i.e. unconfirmed) the operations have already led to the arrest of 33 foreigners. 🔸The announcement names coordinated action by the South African Police Service, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). 🔫 In its fight against illegal mining and organized crime, the government has also promised to deploy army to support the police in the affected provinces. Announced on February 12 by SA's president, the deployment is due in March, though the Department of Defense is still struggling to find the required $50 million, as the funds were not allocated in the annual budget. While bringing shadow mining into the legal realm usually benefits both local communities and the workers themselves, who work in terrible conditions and pay rent to criminal organizations, in South Africa, operations involving the armed security forces tend to end in mass killings. #News ✈️ Stay informed - @devilsbelow