Nearly 1,000 undocumented migrants working illegally at a gold mine in northeastern South Africa have been arrested, police said on Friday.

Public broadcaster SABC reported that police had launched an operation titled Operation Vala Umgodi at the Sheba Gold Mine in Barberton, Mpumalanga province.

What do we know so far about the arrests? 

SABC cited a police spokesperson as saying those arrested were working underground at the mine, close to the borders of Eswatini and Mozambique.

The spokesperson said they would be charged with breaking immigration laws and possibly for illegal mining.

A police statement posted to Facebook said some of those arrested were likely "underage."

The operation to round up the miners took nearly a week, AFP news agency reported, citing an unnamed police spokesperson. The police said more arrests could follow.

Mine owner Barberton Mines welcomed the arrests, saying "illegal mining will not be tolerated."

What is the Sheba gold mine?

Sheba was founded in the 1880s and is one of South Africa’s oldest and richest gold mines.

It played a key role in the country's early gold rush, attracting prospectors and shaping the region’s mining legacy.

Today, the mine remains operational, but faces high costs and a massive issue with gold theft, prompting the owner to restructure operations to stay viable.

South Africa's Illegal mining problem

South Africa has around 6,000 abandoned mines, many of which have become hotspots for illegal activity.

Illegal miners in South Africa are known as "zama-zamas" ("take a chance" in the Zulu language), who work in abandoned or operational mines using basic tools and methods.

Many come from neighboring countries; the rest are made up of unemployed South Africans who turned to illegal mining after the decline of the formal mining sector.

A police operation to root out illegal miners took place in 2024 when police surrounded the abandoned gold mine near Stilfontein, southwest of Johannesburg. The police had cut off supplies to force illegal miners to surrender.

The standoff lasted months and, in January, police raided the mine, leading to the discovery that dozens of miners had died.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez